A Touch of Magic
by McAddicted
Summary: AU: Inspired by the movie 'Practical Magic' - the women in Meredith's family have been cursed to carry on a legacy of witchcraft and tragedy - is Derek fated to be the man that helps her break this spell?
1. Prologue

**Here we are...new fic!**

**Premise: I'm delving into the supernatural again, only this time it's Meredith who is the gifted one. This will be rather loosely based on the movie _"Practical Magic"_, with Sandra Bullock & Nicole Kidman. ****I saw the movie awhile ago, and the idea stuck with me that it would make a good MerDer story. ****In case you aren't familiar with that, you can Google it - there's a good plot summary at Wikipedia (or you can stay unspoiled and see where this goes!). While some of the plot points will remain the same, I have my own ideas about what I want to weave into the story as well.  
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** Basically, in this story, Meredith Grey is a witch, in a long line of witches that have been cursed to lose their true love to accidental death. From an early age, she vowed not to fall in love, never to suffer a broken heart...but of course fate has a way of intervening. Her childhood friend, Cristina, finds herself in a situation that requires Meredith's help, and that will inevitably impact everyone...and bring a sexy stranger into Meredith's life, altering her future...  
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**Rated: Mature, for sexual content and adult themes...please read responsibly!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own Grey's or the characters...cuz you know my version would be really different...no singing involved!  
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**A Touch of Magic **

**Prologue**

"_You will be a strong witch someday, Meredith...and one day you will meet the man that completes your power..."_

"_But Mama..."_

"_Shh..." Her mother rocked her gently in the porch swing, as the moon rose high in the velvety black sky. Meredith snuggled against her, comforted by the scent of roses that twined around the lattice on the porch, and the feel of the soft cotton of Ellis's dress under her cheek . She had been aware for some time now that her legacy was to inherit certain powers, and that she was special in ways that didn't always make sense to her - it was difficult to understand what that meant when she was only ten years old, but her mother's wise eyes regarded her carefully. "It will all be clear to you someday, my little witch. Don't be scared."_

"_I won't..."_

_Ellis pressed a small locket into Meredith's hand. "Keep this safe, it will always be your link to me, do you understand?" Something about her mother's voice made Meredith look up as her hand closed around the locket. It seemed to tingle in her small fist, and she could feel the magic emanating from it. There were a lot of things she had to learn about witchcraft, but she recognized that amulet was bespelled. _

"_Yes, Mama, I understand." Meredith nodded solemnly. She was accustomed to these intense conversations with her mother, but this time it seemed even more so. It had just been the two of them for so long now - her father had been killed not long after Meredith was born, felled by a curse that afflicted her family, thanks to a spell cast long ago by Honoria Grey. The matriarch of the family had been unlucky in love several generations earlier, and she doomed all of the females to lose their true loves to accidental death, but it didn't stop the women from marrying and bearing children. The family legend stated that one of the women would eventually break the curse, but no one knew when that would happen. Ellis was convinced that Meredith could be that one lucky woman. She felt it in her bones._

"_Good, my child." Ellis hugged Meredith tightly, closing her eyes against the visions of the future that came unbidden to her. She felt her own time was near, and she felt a wash of sadness. "Just remember I love you so much...and you are never alone..."_

"You are never alone..." Meredith repeated those words softly, her fingers on the locket that hung on the dainty gold chain around her neck. She had replaced the chain a time or two since that day when her mother had given it to her. Yet the locket itself remained just as lustrous and beautiful as always. She poked the fire in the grate absently, thinking of how her life had changed after that. Ellis had succumbed to death, lost to the fate of the family curse as well...longing to be with her dead husband. Yet her spirit lived on in the world around Meredith, in the wind and in the rain. In fact, on this rainy Seattle evening, she felt as if her mother was especially close. Something had triggered the memories, Meredith mused, settling onto the sofa with a cup of mint tea and the latest paperback mystery novel she'd picked up to keep her interested.

Her thoughts refused to settle onto the book, and she sat quietly, watching the fire instead. After her mother died, Meredith had been raised by her maiden aunts, Cassandra and Gwendolyn, in the big rambling house in the oldest neighborhood in Seattle. They kept to themselves for the most part, even though there were women that knew of their background, and came to them for love potions, hoping to find the perfect husband. The aunts always put something together to give the women hope, but they always cautioned them that sometimes there are consequences to getting what you want. Meredith had always watched the women with a sense of puzzlement. Falling in love didn't always mean happiness, more often it was difficult and heart breaking, as evidenced by her own family. She never wanted to fall in love, never wanted to die of a broken heart...it just wouldn't happen to her. Smiling a little, she recalled the words she'd said to her mother...

"_I won't marry anyone, Mama..."_

_Ellis smiled gently, smoothing the honey gold hair from Meredith's face. "Oh, you will, falling in love happens when you least it expect it, little witch."_

_Meredith shook her head firmly. "Never ever ever ever..."_

_"That is a very long time," Ellis teased her. "The right man will be there for you and you will realize that when you find him, or he finds you, as the case may be. Do not be afraid to let him into your heart, Meredith."_

_Meredith still looked doubtful. "If you say so, Mama, but it won't happen..."  
_

And she had kept to that childhood promise; so far she was single and quite content with that situation. After all, her aunts were unmarried, and they were happy, so it could be possible. And her best friend, Cristina, was still single, even though she was never without a man in her life. They had been friends since childhood, drawn to each other because they were different from the others in their class. As it turned out, Cristina was also a witch, though her parents weren't. They had adopted Cristina as a baby, unable to have their own, and they were blissfully unaware of their daughter's talents. Meredith supposed it helped that Cristina had realized it was better to keep her talents to herself, but there was always the chance it would blow up in her face one day. Things like that often didn't stay secret.

She had a witchy feeling that Cristina was heading back to Seattle, having picked up the undercurrent from her friend's latest email about how life was going in California. There was something wrong, something that would compel Cristina to come home. And it would be good to see her again - they were always as close as sisters, and they shared a blood bond that transcended anything else.

While Cristina had always been more adventurous as they were growing up, Meredith had of course, been more cautious when it came to boys. In fact, they had argued about it regularly, late in the night when Cristina stayed over, usually sneaking in after being out on dates, and Meredith's aunts were sleeping. Looking back, however, Meredith was quite sure they knew all that went on in the house, no matter what time of the night it may have been. One night in particular came to mind...

"_You know the Grey family curse…" Meredith whispered. "I'm never going to fall in love."_

_Cristina snorted. "Who said anything about love? What's wrong with having a good time…the drinking and the boys…it's all for fun…"_

"_But what if you get pregnant?" She had seen many women coming here for potions to ensure they would marry once the inevitable baby was conceived. _

"_Mer, for one thing…that's why condoms were invented, and for another…there's a spell to make sure it doesn't happen. I don't take chances."_

"_But…"_

"_What's the point of being a witch if you can't use magic?"_

"_You shouldn't yet...we're too young...something could go wrong...what if you turn the guy into a toad or something?"_

"_Oh, Meredith, don't let those old biddies tell you that. No danger of that happening," Cristina sighed. She looked at her friend carefully. "Hey..."_

"_You're leaving, aren't you?" Meredith just knew in her soul that it would happen._

"_Soon. I need to get away, I need to see what else is out there...and besides, I met a guy who is willing to take me away with him when he leaves Seattle next week," she finished up quickly._

"_Next week? Seriously?" Meredith felt bereft at the thought of losing her best friend so soon._

"_Seriously," Cristina vowed, crawling under the covers on the extra bed in Meredith's room. _

"_Are you sure that's okay? I mean, you hardly know him!"_

"_Oh please, Mer..." Cristina raised one eyebrow. "I can take care of myself."_

"_You're crazy, but I know I can't stop you. Just promise me you'll be careful." _

_Cristina lifted her hand and crossed her heart. "Witch's honor...besides you'll find some guy of your own soon enough, and you'll be too busy to miss me..."_

"_Ha!' Meredith tossed a pillow towards Cristina's head. "Go to sleep…" But Meredith sat at the bedroom window for awhile longer, resting her chin on her fist. The moon was nearly full; the sky was black with tiny stars studding it. "Why does it have to be this way?" she whispered to herself. "Why does everything have to change just because we're older?" She sighed softly, closing her eyes. What if she envisioned the perfect man, with qualities that could never be found…then she wouldn't fall in love, and she wouldn't have to be hurt like her mother had. He would be tall, with hair as black as the midnight sky, and eyes that were piercing indigo blue. He would be kind and yet strong, a gentleman who would open doors for her, but let her take care of herself when she needed to. He would have a sense of humor, be able to ride a horse and flip pancakes without losing one in the process. She giggled to herself a little at the last qualification, but then she sobered._

"_By the stars and the moon above, and by all my wishes, and my hopes, I say this to be true…until I meet the man of my dreams; I will not fall in love…" She repeated this three times, while turning in a circle each time, then spinning faster until she was dizzy and breathless, falling onto the bed._

_Within the week, Cristina was ready to leave Seattle with a cowboy from Texas, who was passing through the city on the rodeo circuit. Meredith didn't know where they had met, but Cristina was determined to take advantage of the situation. On her last evening, she stopped at Meredith's, her bags packed and ready in the truck where her boyfriend waited for her. The aunts were out for the evening at a local tea and dessert social, taking their famous devil's food cake with them. If only the other women knew the origin of the recipe, Meredith had thought earlier with a smile._

"_Mer, you know I have to go…but we'll never be truly apart. We're almost-twins, that's not gonna change." Cristina held her hand out. "Listen, we can make a blood pact…so that we'll always have each other."_

"_Seriously?"_

"_Seriously." Cristina glanced at her watch. "It won't take long..."_

"_Okay…" Meredith wasn't sure about this, but she was willing to do anything to stall Cristina from leaving. Hand in hand, they headed down the stairs to the kitchen, where they took a small paring knife from the cutlery drawer. Then they slipped outside, under the full moon._

"_Ready?" Cristina whispered, holding the tip of the knife above her palm. Meredith gulped and nodded, watching in fascination at the little bubble of blood that appeared when the skin was pierced. She held out her own palm, trembling a little as Cristina did the same to her. The moment the blood welled up, she slapped her palm against Cristina's._

"_Blood to blood…"_

"_My life to yours…"_

"_Your life to mine…"_

"_Sisters forever…"_

For a moment, Meredith looked at her hand, still able to see the small scar that remained from that ceremony. It was true, their blood had mingled, their lives were intertwined in ways she hadn't imagined before. Her palm seemed to tingle now, as she anticipated the arrival of Cristina. Even her aunts hadn't been able to dissuade her from their friendship over the years.

"_You're a Grey witch," Gwendolyn had reminded her sternly, not long after Cristina was gone. "Your friend is foolish and selfish. Don't let her absence take you from your destined path. There are more things to worry about, my dear. Life isn't all moonlight and lavender, you know."_

"_Yes, I know..." Meredith regarded her aunt carefully. Gwendolyn paced the floor in front of the huge fireplace. Her long red hair swung with each step, accentuating just how annoyed she was by this turn of events. The fitted black dress she wore was old fashioned, right down to the jet black buttons, and her black ankle boots laced up the front, completing the outfit. Her emerald eyes were flashing with emotion, as she whirled around, her hands on her hips to confront Meredith. _

"_You need to live your life, let her go for now..."_

"_Yes, don't worry about her for now," Cassandra said soothingly. Always the pacifist in the family, ready with a soothing touch, or a candy from a pocket in her voluminous dress. "You have so much potential, so much to live up to – Cristina will come back into your life again, you'll see!"_

"_Aunt Cassie, she's my best friend forever..." Meredith sighed. _

"_You will see her again, little witch...but now we need to focus on your future. We need to teach you many things – so many things that your mother didn't have time to tell you about." Cassandra hugged her quickly._

"_We are family, Meredith...and we will always be here for you," Gwendolyn smiled. "Now, where should we begin...?" She settled the battered leather grimoire on her lap, turning the pages carefully. It had been in the family ever since Honoria's time, annotated by each generation, listing all the spells and incantations required for everything from circle casting to making amulets to love potions to invoking spirits. She ran one red tipped fingernail over the script. "All right, lighting candles perhaps, something easy..."_

_"Circle casting might be better for beginning..." Cassandra offered. "Always good to make sure you're protected as you work..."_

_"Good point," Gwendolyn conceded. "Meredith, get the white candles, for purity, and the gray ones for calming energy." She flicked her hand and soft music filled the air to help them meditate. "Once we have the circle, you can concentrate on the candles..."  
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_And so it began..._

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_**Let me know what you think...reviews are always greatly appreciated! I will post new chapters when I can, probably not on a set schedule...**_  
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	2. Trouble Brewing

**Thank you to all for the positive feedback so far! **

**This chapter will give some more background and set some events into motion to bring Derek into Meredith's world. I'm veering away somewhat from the movie plot, as I said, so I hope you enjoy it. Be sure to let me know your thoughts!  
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**Chapter One - Trouble Brewing  
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Meredith walked along the narrow sidewalk, holding the umbrella above her head as she made her way to the shop that she had started a few years ago. Despite the misgivings of her two aunts, she enjoyed the retail business, selling candles, gemstone jewelery and assorted mystical items to the women of Seattle. She loved the intimate setting, the scent of the incense in the air, and the script lettering on the sign hanging in front…_'What Dreams May Come'._ The money she had inherited on her 21st birthday was more than enough to make the down payment, and do some renovations to the small space. Since then, business was brisk, and she was able to show a good profit every year. Maybe her life was rather quiet and without excitement, but she liked it that way. There were a couple of guys that she dated casually, but no one that made her want to rethink her long ago promise.

She held up her long black skirt, as she stepped agilely around the puddles, and she hummed softly to herself. She was wearing her favorite black cashmere sweater, and silver dangly earrings set with amethysts that swung with every step she took. Her hair was pulled into a soft knot, emphasizing the line of her cheekbones, and her wide grey-green eyes. In some ways, she liked to dress the part, playing up the ethereal look people expected when they came to her shop.

Unlocking the front door, she stepped into the dim interior of the shop. For a moment, she stood still, absorbing the atmosphere, taking comfort from the familiar surroundings. There was magic here, but it was subtle…comforting, but subtle. She didn't wish to make it obvious to the everyday customer, but for those seeking more, she could give them that. Besides the everyday items, she had rune stones, crystal charms, and tarot cards for those looking to add some perceived magic to their lives. Just recently, she had added books on mythology, and some tapestries with intricate Celtic patterns.

From the shadows, a fluffy black cat ambled forward, winding around her legs. "Good morning, Maddox," she murmured, scooping him up in her arms. "Did you keep the mice away?" She rubbed his sleek head, listening to the purr emanating from his chest. Holding him against her, she made her way to the back of the shop, thinking about Cristina again. Something had happened, even if Cristina wasn't fully aware of the total implications; Meredith felt it in her bones.

Maddox jumped out of Meredith's arms, anxious for his breakfast. "Ah, my little friend, you're hungry, aren't you?" The cat gave a single meow of agreement, before licking his paw as he waited patiently. Even though he had likely feasted on several mice already, Meredith indulged his appetite, opening a tin of catfood, and setting out a bowl of milk for him. While he ate, she returned to the front of the shop, straightening the book displays, and dusting the crystal charms in the window.

It was still early, so there wouldn't be too many customers coming in yet, and the inclement weather might keep people home for awhile. Her cell phone trilled and she scooped it up from the counter, checking the display. "Hi Cris…where are you now?"

"Um….would you believe Tacoma?"

"I could…did you fly?"

"No, my broomstick needs service," Cristina snorted. "Don't be silly…I'm on the road, but I'm with Dylan…"

"Dylan?"

"Dylan Cooper. He's a guy I started dating in California."

"Aha…"

"Don't _'aha'_ me, Mer…" Cristina sighed. "But there's something wrong, I can't put my finger on it. He's just so intense, now he's talking about our relationship like it's aligned in the stars..."

"I had a feeling there was something wrong...what do you want me to do?"

"Just be there when I get home. He's driving me crazy, and not just in bed…"

"Well, just spell him," Meredith said, waving her hand in the air as if to do that very thing. "You're the one who always enjoyed that."

"I've been giving him belladonna to slow him down as it is…" Cristina whispered.

"Belladonna?"

"Just to get him to sleep, or he'd never let me get any rest."

"So you're drugging your boyfriend so you can get a little sleep at night…don't you think that's a little strange?" Meredith settled into the rocking chair by the bay window, watching the rain slide down the glass.

"Maybe…but he's thick headed sometimes. And strong, very strong…he used to be in the army."

"Dangerous combination."

"How are your aunts?" Cristina asked, veering away from her scary boyfriend for a moment. "Do they still believe in chocolate for breakfast, and dancing out under the moon?""

"Every solstice," Meredith confirmed. Maddox jumped up into her lap, and bunted her arm for attention.

"Oh, crap, I gotta go…he's waking up," Cristina muttered. "You'll see me soonish."

"Love you, Cristina."

"Love you too, Mer…"

Meredith ended the call, and set aside the phone. She stroked the cat's soft fur absently, as he curled into a ball on her lap. "Well, this will be even more interesting than I expected. Where does she find these men?" Maddox blinked his large green eyes slowly, tilting his head as if acknowledging her question, before meowing softly. Whatever wisdom he was imparting, Meredith wasn't quite sure what it might be. Somehow speaking feline wasn't covered in her upbringing. "Whatever you say, Maddox…" Still, she felt a little unsettled after the conversation, and she got to her feet, carrying him along with her to the display of candles. She selected a pair of black pillars and lit them, as Maddox watched her intently from the counter. "Black to repel negative thoughts and bring protection," she murmured. "Queen of Heaven, Queen of Hell...send your aid unto this spell...repel the bad and keep the good...by might of moon and sun...so mote it be..."

The door opened then, the little set of chimes jingling to let her know a customer was arriving. "Time to get to work…" Meredith smiled, turning to look at the woman walking in. No matter what else was going on in her life, she had this business to run, and she was determined to make it work. After all, if she was going to be on her own for the rest of her life, she damn well better be self sufficient.

"Good morning, Samantha," she greeted the young woman walking towards her. "What can I help you with today?" Samantha Matthews was a regular customer, dressed in black leggings and oversize sweaters, her tumble of black hair always looking messy.

"Meredith, I just to come and check out the new tapestries you were telling me about! I have just the right spot for one."

"Excellent..." Meredith led the way to the display counter where several tapestries were laid out. "Now this one is especially beautiful." She touched the emerald green woven cloth.

"Oohh...yes it is! It looks absolutely magical!" Samantha's eyes sparkled happily.

"You have no idea…"

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At the end of the day, Meredith looked up from the stack of papers on the desk, while Maddox was winding around her legs. It had been a busy day after all, so that she hadn't been able to think about Cristina much. The clock on her desk indicated it was getting close to dinner hour, and she realized that there was still no Cristina on her doorstep. She should have been here by now, it wasn't that far to Seattle from Tacoma, after all. Frowning, Meredith checked her cellphone, but there were no missed calls and no messages, and a little tingle of unease feathered along her spine. She punched in Cristina's number, but it went to voice mail immediately.

"This is weird," she murmured, closing up the desk and retrieving her purse from the drawer. "Maybe she went home first and got tied up with her parents..." That seemed unlikely, but it was one of the better choices that came to mind. If this Dylan character was strong and thick-headed, hopefully he hadn't done something bad to Cristina.

Maddox padded behind her silently, as she made her way to the door. As she set the charm wards on the door to keep out unwanted visitors, and turned the lock, he watched her intently, sitting on the floor. "All right, the place is all yours. See you in the morning." She bent down to scratch his head and he chirped in reply before turning to head to the back of the shop again. Meredith shook her head. "As if he can understand me sometimes," she mused, closing the door behind her to head home. Hopefully her aunts might be able to help her determine where Cristina could have disappeared to.

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Sitting at his desk in the sheriff's office in Clarinda County, Derek leaned back in his chair, and placed his booted feet on the desk, crossing them at the ankle. His deceptively lazy pose belied the direction his thoughts were headed as he perused the report in his hands. It was getting late in the evening, but he wanted to go over this again. There was something odd about the situation with Dylan Cooper The man was a war veteran, having served in the medical corps, and decorated for bravery. Yet he was well known to the department, due to his angry outbursts, and rants on the local television station about everything from Greenpeace to global warming to the chemicals in the local water supply. But he had never resorted to breaking the law...until now. According to the eye-witness report, Dylan had broken into the antique book store and stolen several of the books. Since then, the man had disappeared, obviously out of the county.

"Why the hell would Cooper take those books?" he asked himself, rubbing his temple. The list of books indicated a couple on mythology, along with one about Mayan prophecies. To compound the confusion, Cooper had last been seen with a female companion, an Asian woman that had disappeared as well from the sounds of it. If they were in this together, and on the run, Derek would need to go after them.

"Talking to yourself again, Shep?" Mark asked, joining him. "That's a sign you need to get out of here and get a drink."

Mark Sloan was one of the deputies that worked the same shifts as Derek. Always ready to charm the women, or give his snarky observations on life, he was still one of the best wing-men that Derek could ask for. "You may be right, Mark," Derek yawned widely, setting the reports aside. "So what do you know about Dylan Cooper?"

"The book thief?" Mark's eyebrow rose in amusement.

"I know it doesn't seem like a major crime, but it doesn't make sense, and you know I can't stand that."

"Oh I know that too well."

"A man like that doesn't steal books...especially antique books."

"Maybe they're more valuable than the book dealer realized."

"Maybe...I need to get the name of the woman he was involved with. This could be her idea."

"Her prints must've been all over his place. According to his neighbors, she was there a lot, as I recall."

Derek dropped his feet to the floor quickly. "Good point." He glanced at his watch. "We'll check with the lab tomorrow. Let's go get that drink. You buying?" He grabbed his black leather jacket from the back of his chair and slung it over his shoulder. Dressed in the department issue charcoal slacks, and white shirt that he had tugged open at the throat, he looked every bit the law enforcement officer he was. Even though his jaw was covered with dark stubble at this hour of the evening, and his hair was mussed from running his hands through it, he managed to exude an air of strength and confidence.

"Sure, but I need to remind you that you still owe me for the last game of darts you lost," Mark smirked, as they headed out the door.

"I lost?" Derek feigned surprise.

"You always lose..."

"How about another game...double or nothing?"

Mark rolled his eyes. "Fine...I'm a glutton for punishment, obviously..."

"What are friends for?" Derek laughed. "I won't keep you long, anyway, I know you probably have a hot date lined up and I have that new mare at home that needs a good run." He had a small acreage outside of town, just large enough to keep a couple of horses, where he could unwind after a long day at work.

"You need a woman, Shep...not just a female horse waiting for you," Mark teased him as they headed outside, where the sun was just setting.

"My life suits me just fine, I don't have time for romance. I'll leave the dating game in your capable hands," Derek replied.

"It's a tough job, but someone has to do it..."

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Meredith entered the house, leaving her jacket and shoes in the front foyer. As usual, she could hear her aunts in the kitchen, where they were both involved in making dinner. The house was quiet otherwise, but welcoming just the same. She had grown accustomed over the years to the various creaks and idiosyncrasies of the old house; even feeling the presence of what she assumed were spirits of departed family members. Not that she had seen any of them, but anything was possible. She made her way towards the kitchen - the large room was warm and redolent with the scent of garlic and roast beef. Several candles flickered in various sconces and hurricane vases, their flames reflected in the dark windows. The glass fronted cupboards were full of a hodge podge of dishes and glassware, collected by Cassandra and Gwendolyn, as well as items handed down through the generations. A large oak table dominated the room, with more candles lit in the center piece. Pots and pans were hung from hooks above the stove, and several bunches of herbs were drying along the doorway leading to the sunroom at the back of the house.

She watched for a moment, as Cassandra set the spoon to stirring the pot of potatoes, while Gwendolyn organized a flurry of lettuce, cucumber and radishes into the salad bowl. All the while chatting to each other quickly, until they realized that Meredith was standing there.

"Hello, dear...how was your day?" Cassie looked up give Meredith a warm smile.

"Busy," Meredith snuck a piece of tomato from the salad bowl, before taking a perch on the counter. "I heard from Cristina today, she's on her way here, but she hasn't made it yet. I'm a little worried."

"Does it involve a man?" Gwendolyn asked, raising one eyebrow.

"Yes, and he sounds a little overbearing."

"We can do a seeking spell later and find out where she is, if you like," Cassandra offered.

"I think we should, I have a bad feeling about this," Meredith admitted. She hopped off the counter and went to the fridge, pulling out the bottle of chardonnay. "She's giving him belladonna..."

"What?" Gwendolyn spun around quickly, her eyes wide.

"Just to get him to sleep. What's wrong?"

"Too much belladonna can kill a man if you aren't careful."

"I'm sure she knows what she's doing, Aunt Gwen."

"I believe we should do the seeking spell as soon as we're done eating. This could be disastrous."

Meredith poured them all a glass of wine. "You make it sound rather grim."

"Never joke about magic, Meredith."

"Oh believe me, I remember..."

Cassie laughed. "Of course you do...who can forget the time you turned the poor cat blue when you were playing around before you knew your power?"

"Please don't remind me..." Meredith sighed. "I managed to get her back to normal right away, didn't I?"

"Yes, but you and Cristina are both still young enough to make mistakes with magic. Spells are about having your energy aligned to what it is you want," Gwendolyn reminded her. "She may be unsure about what it is she wants, and the outcome may be tragic. The seeking spell will tell us where she is."

Meredith took a sip of wine, before studying the scar in her palm. "Is blood bonding strong enough to strengthen the spell to find her?"

"Why yes, it will make it easier..." Cassie said, before realization dawned. "You mean that you and Cristina...?"

"Um, well..yes..." Meredith had never admitted their blood pact before, but it seemed like a good time to do so now. She held her hand up with the scar clearly visible.

Gwendolyn inspected Meredith's palm carefully. "By the Goddess...you could have mentioned this sooner!"

"It never seemed that important...just a way of being closer to her," Meredith said, with a small shrug. "It's kind of throbbing right now, actually..."

"I think we need to do the spell now...dinner can wait..."

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**Yes, I have brought Mark into this story again...despite the latest debacle on the show, I still like the character he used to be, and I miss the relationship he and Derek used to have! So I will continue to bring that into my stories - hope you enjoy seeing a little bit of him again as well. Also, Clarinda County is totally fictitious, the name just sounded good!  
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	3. Belladonna Overdose

**Thanks to those of you kind enough to leave your reviews on the last chapter! I just wanted to mention as well, I will respond to comments or questions via PM - just be sure that your account is set to enable PM replies. It has happened that I've received messages that I was unable to reply to and I felt bad about that!**

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**Chapter Two - Belladonna Overdose**

Meredith followed Gwendolyn as her aunt hurried towards the sun porch, where they kept the candles and the grimoire. This was where most of the local women came when they were looking for love spells, hovering hesitantly outside the windows until one of the aunts responded. She was a little surprised at the haste that Aunt Gwen wanted to proceed; and it worried her even further. "Get the matches, Meredith, and gather the incense and the copper bowl..." she directed quickly, the folds of her long black skirt flapping behind her. "Cassandra, you know what else we need!"

"Of course...the compass and the..." Cassie started to say, patting her pockets for her glasses as she flipped the pages of the grimoire.

But just as Gwen was putting the candles out at each corner of the room, Meredith's cell phone chirped and she held it up quickly to check the display. "Thank goddess...it's her..." She put the phone to her ear. "Cris...where the hell are you?" she hissed.

"Mer, I need to see you now. There's a problem..." Cristina hissed back.

"My aunts were about to do a seeking spell..." Meredith edged towards the front door again, keeping her voice low. "What happened?"

"It's Dylan...he's...well...he's not waking up.."

Meredith bit her lip, remembering Gwen's comment about the belladonna. "Is he dead?"

"Um...not exactly..."

"He's either dead or not, Cris...there's no in between!"

"Are you coming to help me or not?" Cristina refused to elaborate.

"Where are you?"

"I'm close to Seattle Grace Hospital...outside of the Emerald City Bar..."

"Oh, at Joe's..." Meredith was familiar with the bar, which was known more by the name of bartender than the actual establishment title. "How did you get there?"

"We can talk about that later, Mer..." Cristina said, her voice indicated that she wasn't about to elaborate.

"Okay, I'll be there as soon as I can." Meredith disconnected the call, and grabbed her jacket from the closet. "Aunt Gwen! She's at Joe's, I have to go meet her..."

Both aunts appeared at the foyer instantly, candles in hand. "Is she all right?"

"Yes, far as I know, but she wouldn't tell me anything else over the phone." Meredith pulled her ankle boots on and wished she had time to change clothes, but her work outfit would have to do.

"Honey, just be careful," Cassie offered. "We'll keep some dinner warm for you."

"Are you sure about this?" Gwen asked, searching Meredith's face for some sort of clue about the situation.

"Yes, I'm sure. Don't wait up!" Meredith hustled out the door, keys in hand before they could object any further.

"This still doesn't sound good..." Cassie murmured, exchanging a worried glance with Gwendolyn. "I'm going to light some black candles to banish the negative emotions."

"It's just the beginning..."

"Hush...we need to think positive..."

"Oh, I do, sister dear...more than you know. But I have a bad feeling about this - it's a full blood moon, sister…" Gwendolyn straightened her shawl. "Bad things happen beneath the full blood moon…"

Cassandra sighed. "We're going to need more candles..."

* * *

Meredith pulled into the parking lot beside the small bar close to the Seattle Grace Hospital. It was a familiar place to many of the people in the area, and she had been there a time or two with Alex Karev, one of the surgical residents at the hospital. He had stumbled into her shop purely by accident, getting out of the rain one day, and they ended up going for coffee. He was more of a friend than romantic interest, but she realized that he was hoping for more. She enjoyed his company, he made her laugh, but she thought of him more like a brother she never had.

Right now, she scanned the evening crowd, finding Cristina's distinctive fall of black hair at the bar. She was hunched over the bar, her chin resting on her fist. "Hey...are you okay?" Meredith slipped onto the empty stool beside Cristina, giving her friend a searching look. There were shadows under her eyes, and not even the cranberry sweater she wore could erase the dark mood that hovered around her.

"Thank god you're here," Cristina looked over, warily checking the crowd for anyone else suspicious. "Did you come alone?"

"What is this, a mob hit? Of course I'm alone..." Meredith set her purse on the counter, and looked at Joe who was hovering while she sat down. "Just a shot of tequila, please...and some of those peanuts, if could break out a new package? I left the house before dinner was ready..."

"You got it, Meredith," he grinned. After being here with Alex, she had helped Joe with a spell regarding prosperity in the bar, and relationship help with his boyfriend. Now she was a welcome face at the bar as far as he was concerned. Once the shot glass and bowl of nuts was in front of her, she looked back at Cristina.

She picked up the glass and held it up for a toast. "Good to see you, though the circumstances are rather odd...now give..."

"Dylan's in the car, but he's not exactly lucid..." Cristina said quickly, and then lifted the shot glass in front of her, to clink it against Meredith's before downing the contents quickly.

Meredith swallowed her shot just as quickly, before looking at Cristina again. "What does that mean, exactly?"

Cristina's eyes flicked around the crowded bar before returning to Meredith. "Well...he's actually out cold...and I'm not sure he's going to wake up..."

"So he IS dead…"

"Shh...don't say that out loud, for god's sake!" Cristina lifted her head to look around again, but the bar was loud with the other patrons and no one took any notice.

"This is crazy," Meredith muttered. "My aunts were about to cast a spell to find you, and now you're telling me that your boyfriend is dead...?"

"Dead is merely a state of mind...we can do something about that..."

"Oh no...not the return from the dead incantation," Meredith replied, looking around quickly to make sure no one else heard. The tequila suddenly felt like a lead weight in her system, without food to counteract the alcohol. "You know that it's dangerous."

"More so than giving the belladonna?"

"You just overdid it...Aunt Gwen said it's possible…"

"Well, I'm sorry I didn't have the _Spellbook for Dummies_ with me," Cristina retorted.

"Hell, Cristina...what were you thinking?" Meredith sighed. "And what were you doing all day?" she added, curious as to why it took so long to hear from Cristina.

"Well…I called you from the motel in Tacoma, and when he woke up he was feeling amorous again…" Cristina raised her eyebrows suggestively.

"Okay, fine…I get the picture."

"…so we didn't get going as quickly as I thought, and then he was moody about god knows what…" " Cristina rubbed her wrist, and Meredith was suspicious about the tell-tale gesture.

"Did he hurt you, Cristina?" Meredith pushed the sweater sleeve up, displaying dark bruises on Cristina's arm. "What the hell is that…?"

Cristina jerked her arm away quickly. "Just a little bruise, nothing major…"

"He's dangerous, Cris…how often does he hurt you?"

"He has issues, Meredith. Sometimes he gets flashes from the war…" Cristina admitted softly. "But I just wanted him to sleep, so he'd be okay when we got here…and now I can't wake him up…it seemed to work originally, but I guess the last dose was too much…mixed with the vodka..." "

"So what were you planning on doing? Taking him to the hospital?" Meredith asked, her voice hushed.

"It crossed my mind," Cristina admitted. "But then I figured better to call you instead…and I needed a drink, so here we are…"

"Here we are…maybe we should just leave him in ER…"

Before Meredith could say anything else, there was a wash of cool air behind them, and she detected the distinctive scent of Alex joining the crowd. She turned quickly, and met his amused gaze as he joined them. "Hey, babe..." he muttered, leaning in for a quick kiss on her cheek. "Who's your friend?"

"Oh, this is Cristina," Meredith offered. "Long time friend who has just come back to Seattle..."

Alex grinned happily. "Good to meet you."

"Um, Alex...we're kinda involved in some girl talk right now..." Meredith told him. "Catching up on old times..."

"Ah...I gotcha..." He winked at Meredith. "Let me know if you need some company later on, okay?"

"Sure..." Meredith squeezed his hand before he left to join some of the other residents from the hospital.

"Nice guy..." Cristina observed, raising her eyebrows.

"Just a friend..."

"Still waiting for Mr. Right?"

"You got it..." Even though the long ago incantation may have been silly, it was always on Meredith's mind when she met a new man. So far no one had been able to live up to the specifications. "But we're not talking about me, right now. There's the little matter of the sorta-dead guy..."

"Fine...you're right..."

Meredith left some cash on the bar for the drinks, and hurried outside with Cristina at her heels. "Over there..." Cristina pointed towards the far end of the parking lot, where a Toyota Landcruiser was waiting. Under the lights, the black paint looked ominous, and Meredith shook off a feeling of dread as they approached.

"Here...I'll unlock it..." Cristina pushed the button on the remote, and the lights flashed. "He's in the back seat..." She went to open the door, but Meredith held her back.

"Wait...there's something evil, don't you feel it?" The hair on the back of her neck stood up, and Meredith stopped short.

"Damn..." Cristina swore. "I'm not sure…I was just so wrapped up everything else going on."

Meredith touched her locket, needing the reassurance of her mother's touch suddenly. "By the moon and by the earth...give us the protection from evil..." Her pulse calmed and she nodded at Cristina. "Open the door..."

"Okay..." Cristina slowly swung the door open, and stepped back, revealing the prone form of the man in the back seat. Meredith peered inside, inspecting him warily. He was a big man, with black hair that was on the longer side, dressed casually in jeans and dark grey polo shirt open at the collar. She could see that the material was snug over his chest, and his forearms were muscled as well.

"He does look strong..." she murmured, glancing at Cristina. "Nice muscles." Muscles that were capable of doing damage to a woman, unfortunately. Maybe it would be a good thing to leave him dead, she thought cynically.

"He was in the army, medical corps actually. I know he's a bit over the top sometimes, but deep down he's a good guy, Mer..."

Meredith blew out a puff of air, trying to decide what to do. Gingerly, she leaned closer and tried to find a pulse, but it was apparent the belladonna had done it's magic too well. But her senses tingled from the feel of something else, something dangerously magical and potent. "Cris, are you sure you didn't feel something else strange during your road trip?"

"Something did seem off..."

"How well d'you really know this guy, Cris? Could he be a warlock, or involved with something dangerous?"

"Please, Mer...give me some credit," Cristina replied, rolling her eyes. "He may be a lot of things, but being a warlock isn't one of them. I've known him for six months, and he's a normal human."

"Except that he's capable of hurting you. How could you let him do that...you could ward off that crap..."

Cristina stuffed her hands in her jeans pockets. "I think my powers are fading, Mer..."

"What? Why didn't you tell me before?"

"It was gradual, I don't remember when I first noticed..."

"Crap, well, we need to take care of this before anything else..." She jerked her head towards Dylan. Then she heard footsteps behind them, and she slammed the door shut quickly.

"Hey, is everything okay?" Alex called out, and Meredith whirled around to find him crossing the parking lot towards them.

"Sure, yeah…we need to get going, actually…" she assured him, easing away from the SUV, acting nonchalant so that he wouldn't get more curious and try to peek into the windows. "I thought you were having a drink?"

"Ah, just sat down and got paged back to the hospital…" he sighed, rubbing one hand over his close cropped hair. "Nice ride…yours?" He glanced at Cristina.

"It belongs to my boyfr-" she started to say, but changed her mind. "I mean, yeah…all mine…" She swept her arms wide. "I like big trucks, what can I say?"

"Cool…well, I gotta run…"

"Bye Alex…nice seeing you…" Meredith let her breath out slowly as he headed towards the hospital. "Can you say awkward…?" she hissed once he was out of earshot.

"Look, my parents are away on vacation, we can take Dylan there and figure out what to do," Cristina offered. "You can get the grimoire and we can do the spell to bring him back, no harm no foul…"

"We can't cast that kind of spell there - we need too many ingredients and candles. We have to take him to my aunts...maybe they will have some other ideas..."

"Mer..."

"Aunt Gwen always says the spell brings them back as something dark and twisted," Meredith said quietly. "Not the person you remember…"

"Please, Mer…so long as he has a pulse is the main thing...please help me fix this..." Cristina held her hand up, where the slight scar was visible. "We have our blood pact, don't we?"

"We do…sisters forever…" Meredith lifted her own hand, touching it to Cristina's.

"Blood to blood…"

High above them, the blood moon was revealed by a break in the clouds, round and full and tinged with crimson. Meredith felt a chill touch her spine again and she clutched the locket at her throat again instinctively. "Goddess help us..."

* * *

After leaving Mark in town at the bar, Derek had hurried home, anxious to get into his faded jeans and well worn boots. He paused outside of the stable, looking at the twilight sky, and whistled softly at the sight of the moon rising above the horizon. It looked larger and brighter than usual, and seemed to be outlined with a tinge of red. Was there some cosmic dust up there, he wondered briefly, or some other strange phenomenon going on that he hadn't heard about? He felt a little twinge of unease, but he shook it off, and headed into the warmth of the building.

His two horses greeted him eagerly, stretching their heads from the confines of their stalls to look towards him. The sense of unease dissipated as soon as he reached them - the familiar scent of the animals, mingled with the fresh straw and the tack lining the walls took away the stress that built up during the day. He stroked the delicate curve of the little Arabian filly's neck first, and she nickered softly. "Hello Gloriana... " he said quietly. The stallion in the other stall snorted in response as well, and Derek grinned. "And you too, Gandalf...don't worry, I'm not playing favorites." Gandalf tossed his head, and his thick mane rippled along the arch of his neck, as he waited for Derek. As always, Derek couldn't help but admire the strength and beauty of both animals - and he would miss them if he had to leave to find Cooper. It was a good thing he had a reliable neighbor that could look after things during any absence. For a few moments, he contemplated the situation, hoping that it would resolve itself quickly; however, he had a feeling that this would turn out to be more complicated than he expected...


	4. Raising the Dead

**So, I'm not sure if this story is capturing interest in the way I'd hoped - activity has fallen off quite a bit since I posted the first chapter. I know it's different, and it's not Calzona-oriented (which seems to be the more popular couple for stories lately)...but I'll see how things go and if activity continues to slide, I will end it quickly. Thanks however to those of you leaving your reviews!**

**In this chapter, Meredith and Cristina intend to fix Dylan, but will it turn out the way they hope? Again, not quite following the movie plot, but if you want to keep reading, I do have a plan in mind!  
**

* * *

**Chapter Three - Raising the Dead  
**

Meredith eased her Jeep into the driveway, watching the headlights of Cristina's vehicle behind her. They were here but now it was only going to get more complicated, she was quite sure. If her life had been quiet before, now it was heading towards the un-quiet side. The lights were on in the house, indicating her aunts were still up and waiting for her. She jumped out of the Jeep and jogged towards the Landcruiser.

"Let's get him inside..." she said, opening the door. Another wave of magic assaulted her, and she shivered. "Hurry up..."

Between the two of them, they managed to get Dylan out of the back seat and she conjured up a spell of strength to help them maneuver the body up the stairs of the front porch and into the house. Immediately, Gwendolyn appeared at the top of the stairs, a disapproving look on her face.

"What have you done?"

"Nothing yet, Aunt Gwen..." They let Dylan down onto the floor slowly. "But we could use some advice about how to fix this..."

Gwen hurried down the stairs, holding her long skirts in her hand. Strands of auburn hair escaped the bun at the back of her head, and her green eyes were fixed on the body on the floor. Cassandra poked her head out of the kitchen, her usually calm expression suddenly worried.

"He's been given too much belladonna," Meredith said quickly, dropping her jacket onto the bench in the foyer. "We need to bring him back."

"Bring him back?" Gwendolyn repeated, her voice low. "Haven't I taught you better than that?" She dropped to her knees, belying the fact she was over 60 years old; she was as nimble as someone a third her age. Her experienced eyes swept over Dylan, and she inspected his pupils just as surely as any physician. "He's dead..."

"But we can fix that..." Cristina started to say.

"No, it's not a good idea, Cristina. You should know better," Gwendolyn chided her.

"But it's my fault...I need to make it right..."

Cassandra approached from the other direction. "Oh, Cristina child...you know the consequences of the incantation..." Her eyes were kind, but her voice was reproachful. "Just because you want it so doesn't make it right." She placed her arm around Cristina's shoulders, giving her a slight hug. Over the years of seeing Meredith and Cristina grow up, she always thought of Cristina as part of the family.

Meredith sighed. "I tried to tell her, but maybe there's something else we can do..."

"Dead is dead." Gwendolyn stood up, dusting her hands off to show her displeasure. "However, if you insist on going forward with this spell, you are on your own. We will not condone your actions."

"But Aunt Gwen..." Meredith looked helplessly towards Cristina, and then Cassandra.

"If you truly believe this will work, by all means, attempt the spell, but Cassie and I are not staying here to witness the fallout." Gwendolyn marched up the stairs without another word. The set of her spine indicated she wasn't about to change her mind, and Meredith looked towards Cassandra again.

"I'm so sorry, Meredith. She's right..." Cassie said regretfully. But her hands went to her pockets, and she quickly handed over a small silver flask. "Keep this just as a precaution, though...you'll know if you need it." She hugged her niece before heading up the stairs as well, catching up with Gwendolyn. "Gwen...are you sure this is the best thing to do?"

"Not entirely but you know we can't be part of this. It's a lesson better learned on their own, Cassie."

"So we're on our own," Cristina sighed, her shoulders slumped.

"I guess so..." The house was suddenly even more silent, and she realized that her aunts had both vacated the house, using their disappearing spells to do so. There was no telling where they went, or when they would return. Even the spirits seemed to have been silenced somehow, despite the creaking wood of the house around them.

"Let's just get this over with," Meredith murmured, looking down at Dylan. "Grab an arm..." Between them, they dragged the body towards the sun porch, and laid him out on the floor. "Damn, he's heavy..."

"Muscles weigh more..." Cristina groaned.

"Okay, I'll get the grimoire, you get the ingredients..." Meredith instructed, picking up the heavy leather bound book. She flipped through the parchment pages carefully, until the revival spell was revealed. There were some annotations on the page, observations by other generations of Grey witches about the unreliability of the incantation, and she shook her head. "Are you really sure about this?"

"Sure as the moon is full..."

"All right...we need the wolf's bane, the sage and the marigold leaves and the...whipped cream...?" She checked the notes again. "Seriously?"

Cristina shrugged. "Modern addition?"

"Must be...but okay..." She went to the fridge and pulled out the can of whipped topping dubiously. "Okay, let me light the candles and we'll begin..." She took a steadying breath, and set out the deep purple candles to call the influence of the occult and aid in the spell casting. One candle in each element of the compass in order to designate the sacred space, before they began to go any further. Taking a deep breath, Meredith concentrated on the candles, and each one lit in turn, flaring to life in the darkness.

"Take the herbs and put them in the bowl..." she instructed. "We need to get them smoking and pass the bowl over him as we do the incantation."

"Gotcha..." Cristina reached into her purse and pulled out a lighter, but Meredith glared at her. "What...?"

"Matches only, Cris...remember?" Witches never used lighters in casting spells, only matches, and preferably wooden ones. Lighting candles could be done without that, but herbs required more archaic means.

"Right...sorry..."

Meredith skimmed over the spell again, and laughed softly. "Oh I see what the whipped cream is for! We need to draw a white pentagram on his chest, guess that works like a charm...pardon the pun."

"Not the best time for jokes, Mer..." Cristina rolled her eyes, before lighting the herbs in the copper bowl. Soon the pungent scent filled the air, and the smoke curled upwards out of the bowl. She watched intently as Meredith drew the outline of the pentagram on Dylan's chest, before flicking her finger in the sweet cream. "Mmm...reminds me that I haven't had dinner yet..."

"Now who's not being serious...?" Meredith frowned. "Pass me the bowl, and we'll make sure the smoke is drifted over his body." They passed the bowl between them, wafting the smoke over and around Dylan. "Now...we need to call forth the spirit..." She closed her eyes, concentrating on the spell.

"Black is night...white is bright...mighty Hecate make this right..."

Cristina repeated the words, until they were both speaking faster and faster and the smoke was spinning in a whirlwind over the body. Meredith clasped hands with her, swaying together in the moment, feeling the power of their combined blood in her soul. Her heart beat faster, and she felt like she was going to levitate right off the floor.

Then she opened her eyes and looked down at Dylan and she bit back a scream, realizing that his eyes were open and looking back at her. "It worked..." she whispered, and Cristina jumped backwards, breaking their contact. Before they could say anything else, he sat bolt upright and looked around, his eyes wild. He focused on Cristina, and he grinned evilly.

"Cristina..." he muttered, and she shuddered from the cold tone of his voice. Her feet shuffled backwards, toward the door, in her sudden fright of what they had done. His hands moved over his body, as if not sure about his existence. "Where am I?" His eyes skittered around the room, looking at Meredith in confusion. "Who are you?"

Meredith gulped, her fingers closing around the edge of the copper bowl. This was not going well at all, why didn't she listen to her aunts wisdom? Whatever Dylan's character was before, he was quite obviously not himself now, judging from Cristina's wide eyed stare. Before she could formulate a response, he had whirled around to stalk across the floor to confront Cristina. His hand closed around her neck as he looked at her.

"Dylan…" she whispered, putting her hands up against his chest ineffectually. "You're scaring me…" Something in his eyes was definitely wrong; she had seen him angry more than once in their relationship, and this was off the scale. Way more than any of his flashbacks to the war.

"Scaring you?" he repeated, "I haven't begun scaring you…" Even his voice was different, Cristina thought dazedly, more intense, and resonant.

"Leave her alone!" Meredith gathered her courage, along with her wits, and came up behind him. "She saved you…"

Dylan looked over his shoulder at her. "_You _saved me…it was your voice calling me forward…"

"Fine, we both saved you, now we want you to leave." Meredith kept her voice firm, despite her heart thundering from fear.

"Oh, and what will you do if I stay, hmmm? I think I like it here…with two lovely women to share…"

"You can't be serious…" she muttered. Dark and twisted, indeed, she thought briefly.

He laughed suggestively, before looking back to Cristina again. This time, he circled her throat with both hands and applied some pressure. Meredith could see that Cristina was losing focus and there was no way she would be able to cast any spell, even if she had been in top form. Without even stopping to think, Meredith dropped the copper bowl, and the crack as it hit the tile floor made Dylan flinch. Smoking bits of herbs scattered hotly at their feet, and she inhaled deeply. The power of the evening was still strong in her veins and time seemed to slow down as she concentrated on getting rid of the man in front of her. She touched the locket at her throat, and suddenly knew what she could do.

"Wind come to me now...clear this house for me..." she murmured, lifting her hands up, and forceful currents began to gather and whirl around them. Cristina edged closer to Meredith, as the wind began to nudge Dylan towards the door. He tried to resist, putting his hands out to grab onto anything he could, reaching out for help. The back door flung itself open, as the wind propelled him outside and lifted him off his feet. "Darksome night and blood moon...harken to this witch's tune...take him away...away from our sight..." Her hair lifted and her skirts swirled around her in the maelstrom, but she held firm until Dylan was carried away on a powerful gust, and they lost sight of him over the tops of the trees in the back yard.

Meredith dropped her hands to her sides, and the wind stilled instantly. She looked at Cristina, and they exchanged a look of shock mixed with disbelief. "What did you just do?" Cristina looked out the open door, which then slowly closed again. There was debris littered on the floor, herbs mixed with broken bits of glass and the copper bowl upturned in the middle of it all.

"I...didn't think...I just felt..." Meredith whispered. "I wanted him gone..."

"...and it worked..."

* * *

_Three days later..._

Derek parked his rental car, a red Mustang that had appealed to him for reasons he couldn't quite understand, close to the driveway of the big rambling house. He checked the address again, comparing it to the paper in his briefcase. This was definitely the right place, but it wasn't what he had been expecting. It had spires and turrets in odd places, with faded cedar shakes on the roof, and siding that had weathered to soft gray. Large trees bordered the black wrought iron fence, nearly obscuring most of the yard from view. There was an ornate sign on the gate, indicating the house number written in Gothic script.

He stepped outside, and zipped up his leather jacket. At this time of the morning, the air was cool and damp, with a definite hint of autumn in the air. It was certainly a change in climate from Clarinda County, and he was already wishing he was back home. Instead, he was here in Seattle, tracking down Cristina Yang, the last known person with Dylan Cooper. A search of her apartment turned up a connection to Meredith Grey, at this address.

He made his way through the gate and along the meandering crushed stone walkway. The grass was lushly green from the frequent rain, and beds of rose bushes and other brightly colored flowers he had no hope of identifying, brightened the yard. It all looked well tended and a vast difference to the California landscape he was accustomed to seeing. There was a large front porch that wrapped around the side of the house, and he could see pots of ferns and a large swing with dark cushions. All in all, it looked comfortable, if somewhat eccentric.

Before he could put his finger on the doorbell, the large oak door swung open abruptly, and he found himself face to face with a woman. A lithe, delicate looking woman dressed in a winter white cashmere sweater, and slim black skirt. That was all he was able to absorb before he met her eyes, and he forgot what it was exactly that he had been thinking. Her eyes drew him in, the soft grey green gaze fringed with impossibly long lashes, set in a heart shaped face, regarded him curiously.

"Oh, I'm so sorry I startled you..." she murmured. "I was checking to see if the paper had been delivered...can I help you?"

Derek gathered his wits, and held up his badge. "Sheriff Derek Shepherd, from Clarinda County in California...I'm looking for Meredith Grey..."

A little smile curved her lips. "That's me, I'm Meredith." She shook his hand, and her slim fingers felt cool in his grasp. "What's this about?" she asked, letting his hand go.

For a moment, he felt bereft at the loss of contact, but he shook it off. "It's about Cristina Yang...have you seen her in the last week?"

Meredith felt a sudden chill at his words, despite the spark of attraction she'd felt between them just a moment earlier. He had a definite authoritative air about him, even though he was dressed casually in dark jeans, white button down shirt, and a well worn leather jacket that was zipped up against the damp. His black hair was thick and a little tousled, as if he was in the habit of running his hands through it. Then she realized his eyes on her, as he waited for her answer...a certain piercing blue that was almost familiar. As if she had conjured up the man of her dreams, and she wasn't sure what to say. This couldn't be happening...


	5. A Few Questions

**Thanks for the input on whether to keep going with this - while I still see a decline in the number of views this story gets, I realize (and appreciate) that some of you out there are still reading. Juni, thanks for your honesty - you may be speaking for others that feel the same. Perhaps the lack of erotic sizzle is the problem, but I promise it's going to happen!  
**

* * *

**Chapter Four - A Few Questions  
**

Meredith drew a steadying breath, feeling that everything in her usually orderly world was suddenly tilted off its axis. This man was here on her doorstep, matching some of her long ago criteria - well, in the physical attributes anyway. He wasn't riding a horse and flipping pancakes, and she wondered briefly if he was proficient in those areas. She realized that she was staring at him, and she shook her head to clear the strange feelings. Something about the tone of his voice seemed to penetrate inside of her and wrap around her senses, and she felt almost compelled to tell him the truth.

"Cristina..." she finally said. "Of course, she's here with me."

Derek smiled. "Is she available for me to speak with her?"

"What do you need to see her about?" It was a stall for time, knowing that it had to be about Dylan. Meredith forced herself to be calm, to put forth a facade of disinterest, even though she was mentally scrambling to wonder if all of Dylan's belongings were gone. They had moved the Landcruiser, and parked it in the back of the yard, beneath a large spruce tree that had branches spreading low to the ground. So far they hadn't removed any of his bags, though Meredith was sure there was something malevolently evil about them. That was partly why she was still hesitating about it.

"She was involved with a man by the name of Dylan Cooper in California...and he's disappeared. I'd like to speak with her about him."

"I see...well, why don't you come in, and I'll get her for you." Meredith found herself inviting him inside, unable to tell him to leave, or lie to him about Cristina's whereabouts. She led the way inside the cool of the house, extremely aware of the man following her. Since the night they had sent Dylan flying, she was worried about the fact someone might come looking for him, and now the time had come.

"Interesting house you have..." Derek commented, looking around. The interior was just as eclectic as the outside, the furniture a mix of antique and modern. There were candles everywhere, on most surfaces and in groups along the alcoves in the walls.

"It's been in the family for generations," Meredith explained. The heels of her boots tapped along the well worn hardwood floor as she walked ahead of him. They came into the kitchen, where she directed him to the table. "There's coffee, if you're interested."

"That would be great," he told her, looking at the various dried herbs in the cupboards, and the candles in different hues. "Why so many candles?"

Meredith turned to him, before taking a cup from the shelf. "What's wrong with candles? Got something against them?"

"No, it just seems excessive. It could be a fire hazard in an old place like this," Derek shrugged casually, taking a chair at the table.

"I see, well, we like the candles here..." Meredith smiled, pouring the coffee, and putting the cup on the table in front of him. "Just wait right there, and I'll be back with Cristina." She resisted the urge to touch him, to make sure he was really there and not some figment of her imagination. Then she whirled away and made her way quickly up to the bedroom where Cristina was practicing meditation. Something that Meredith couldn't quite understand, but if it helped, then so mote it be.

"Cristina..." she called out, opening the bedroom door to look for her friend. Cristina was seated cross legged on the floor, her hands facing palms upward as she murmured quietly to herself. The scent of cinnamon incense hung in the air, and a few white candles were lit on the dresser. At the sound of Meredith's voice, Cristina's eyes snapped open.

"What's wrong?"

Meredith crossed the room quickly. "There's a Sheriff here from California, looking for you. He's downstairs, in the kitchen..."

Cristina jumped to her feet, agile as a cat. "What? Why didn't you tell him to leave?"

Meredith rubbed her hands together. "I...I can't lie to him, it's weird."

"Okay...is he cute?"

"Cristina!"

"Well, if he's cute, it makes sense..."

"Yes, he's more than cute…" Meredith sighed, pacing back and forth. "Just come down and talk to him. He knows you were with Dylan, Cris...what are we going to tell him?"

Cristina took Meredith by the shoulders. "All right...we tell him that I came with Dylan, but he dropped me off and we haven't seen him since then, all right?"

"Cristina! You can't lie to the police!"

Raising one eyebrow in disbelief, Cristina shook her head. "I'm sure the tale of what really happened would go over _so_ well, Mer...you think he'll buy the fact Dylan was blown away?"

"Okay...you're right...you can do the talking..." Meredith didn't want to mess things up, finding the Sheriff far too attractive and compelling to resist.

"I've never seen you like this," Cristina murmured, as they headed down the stairs. "You've been the one in control of your emotions, not me..."

"Just talk to him and get rid of him..."

"Fine, whatever..."

In the kitchen, they found Derek studying the jars of dried herbs intently, and he turned at the sound of their footsteps. "Ms. Yang," he greeted her, holding his badge out again for her to study. "Sheriff Shepherd from Clarinda County – I'd like to ask you a few questions about your boyfriend, Dylan Cooper."

Cristina hopped onto the counter, swinging her feet nonchalantly. "Oh, I wouldn't necessarily call him my boyfriend, more of an acquaintance. What's wrong?"

Derek looked at her closely, and then over at Meredith, who was studiously avoiding his eyes. "He's missing, and he allegedly stole several antique books from Nate's bookstore. Nate would like to get them back. You were apparently seen with Dylan before he left town...is there something you can tell me about this?" He folded his arms over his chest, and leaned one hip against the counter next to him. Tilting his head, he waited for Cristina's answer.

Meredith felt an immediate jump in her pulse, as she looked at him from under her lashes. Trying not to stare, but damn he was far too good looking to ignore for long. Just the way he leaned, the way he was intent and yet not too aggressive, waiting for Cristina to say something, added to his appeal. She bit her lip to keep from blurting out the truth, and Cristina caught the little gesture.

"Dylan stole some books? Seriously?" Cristina laughed. "Well, that's not what I would expect from him. I mean, he didn't seem the type."

"So you did know him well enough to know his type..."

"Well, sort of. He offered to drive me up here to see Meredith, said he was going on a road trip and this was on his way..."

"I see. So he dropped you off and that's it?"

"Exactly! Gone like the wind!" Cristina said happily. Meredith winced at the choice of words.

"Did he seem all right to you? Anything out of the ordinary?"

"Seemed okay."

Derek jotted a few things down in his notebook. "And he didn't leave you anything for safekeeping?"

"Not a thing."

Derek looked over at Meredith. "Did you see him?"

"Me? No...not at all..." Meredith clenched her hands tightly. "I mean, he left so quickly...just like Cristina said...gone..." She waved her hands airily, trying to match Cristina's light mood. "Poof!"

Derek moved a little closer to her, and she caught a whiff of his scent – just enough spicy aftershave mingled with masculine essence. He smiled briefly, and his eyes seemed to twinkle just a little. "Poof?" he repeated, the corner of his mouth quirking into a smile. She could see Cristina behind him, giving her a silent _'What the hell is wrong with you?' _look, and she shrugged helplessly.

"I know, I guess he was in a hurry, but that's what happened."

"So you don't mind if I look around a bit?"

"You could…" Meredith started to say, but a sudden gust of wind rattled the shutters outside and they all looked towards the window in surprise. Cristina moved quickly to block the view, as the branches on the spruce trees rustled violently, nearly revealing the glint of black paint on the hidden Landcruiser. Derek frowned, trying to see around her, but Meredith touched his arm to hold him back. "But, I think you need a warrant if you want to search anything. You don't really believe we had something to do with Dylan's disappearance, though…do you?" She summoned a bit of magic to make him focus on her, even though the intensity in his blue of his eyes told her that he was already interested in her. She didn't need to be a witch to get that vibe from him.

"I do need to explore all the possibilities," he said, even though he felt a little disoriented. What was he talking about before that gust of wind? He was distracted by the scent of her hair, and the curve of her mouth as she met his gaze steadily. Clearing his throat, he returned his attention to the notepad in his hand. "I don't have local jurisdiction to get a warrant, but I will be here in Seattle for awhile, you realize that. So I'm sure I will be seeing you again about this." Despite his befuddled state, he knew there was something going on here; he just couldn't put his finger on it.

"Well, I'm sure I'll be happy to answer your questions, Sheriff," Meredith smiled. "But for now, I have to get to work."

"Of course. Don't let me keep you any longer."

"Let me walk you out," she offered, touching his arm again to direct him towards the front of the house. The morning had barely started, and she was convinced things would only get worse.

* * *

"We have to move that damn vehicle," Meredith told Cristina as they made their way to her shop after Derek drove away. "He could have spotted it and then what would we have done?"

"What was up with that wind, anyway?" Cristina asked, looking around the neighborhood as Meredith unlocked the door. "That was weird, almost as if Dylan was trying to get us in trouble!"

"I thought you said he wasn't a warlock…" Meredith frowned. "I swear, Cris, you have the worst taste in men."

"Maybe so, but better than being celibate."

"Sex isn't everything."

"No, but it makes other things more bearable...and since when are you the expert on the joy of sex?"

"I've had my share of experiences," Meredith retorted. "And we've already covered this topic, thank you very much."

"I don't know, Mer, that Sherriff was looking at you like he wanted to get you in handcuffs for some kinky fun…"

"He did not!"

"He's hot, you gotta admit that…"

"Mmm...tall, dark and dreamy..." Meredith murmured.

Maddox took that moment to make his presence known, winding around Cristina's ankles happily. "Oohh…how cliché is this? A black cat with a witch?" She stooped down to pick him up, ruffling the fur as he snuggled against her.

"Seriously, I didn't set out to have a familiar," Meredith smiled. "He sort of adopted me."

"Mmhmm….that's what they do…"

"Even so…he's good for keeping the mice population down here. The shops in this older area of Seattle have a lot of little spaces for them to invade, unfortunately."

The expressive dark eyes that dominated Cristina's face darted around Meredith's little store, taking in the surroundings. "Nice digs…"

Meredith smiled, feeling pride at her words. "It may not be much, but it's all mine. Come on, I need to feed Maddox and I'll make some tea. You can help out today, if you want."

"Cool. Hey, I have an idea – my parents are away up in Vancouver, visiting some cousins – we can store the Landcruiser there till they get back."

"The intrepid Sherriff might think of looking there, but it would work for awhile, I guess."

"Do you think those books might still be there, if Dylan really did steal them?" Cristina asked.

"Maybe – we need to go through his stuff anyway. There was some weird vibe about the vehicle before; I want to know what it was."

"What if he did get mixed up in something magical?"

"You mean, someone was using black magic on him?"

"Maybe, I don't know…just throwing it out there…"

"All I can say is if those books are hidden in Dylan's suitcase, we're giving them back. Then hopefully Dylan will stay gone, and the Sheriff can go back to wherever it was he came from!" Meredith said forcefully. Even though the thought of those blue eyes of his was still haunting her, she wanted to put him firmly out of her mind and her life. Forget the fact he was charming, and sexy, and that those jeans fit his butt perfectly.

"Mer, I may not always be the best witch, but I really don't think it's going to be that easy," Cristina pointed out. Maddox meowed from his spot in a patch of sunlight, before licking a paw and then his whiskers. "See, even he agrees with me..."

* * *

Derek stretched out on the bed in his hotel room, and checked his Blackberry for messages. After driving away from the Grey residence, his thoughts had cleared somewhat and he'd wondered why he left without getting a straight answer out of either woman. Shaking his head, he scrolled through the few text messages that had been received while he was busy. He returned a text from the neighbour looking after his place, as well as one from the secretary at the county office before reading Mark's.

_hey shep…found those books yet? is it raining there? everything's quiet on this end_

_not raining...no books uncovered, but found ms yang and her friend _Derek tapped out the message and sent it off.

Within moments, his phone beeped with the reply.

_it's a start, man...what's the friend like?_

_pretty...sexy...and rather mysterious..._

_?_

_can't explain it right now..._

_let me know if u need help with the ladies ;o)_

Derek grinned at that last text, before signing off. He would definitely be checking into Meredith Grey, but Mark's help wasn't required. It was time to get out there and find out exactly what kind of woman she was and whether she would be involved with something criminal._..  
_


	6. Do You Believe in Magic?

**Thanks again for the reviews and support so far. In this chapter, Derek will be given some information about Meredith that leaves him a little perplexed...**

* * *

**Chapter Five - Do You Believe in Magic?  
**

Derek walked along the narrow sidewalks in this older part of Seattle, where the neighborhood was a mix of vintage clothing shops, pottery shops and antique shops. Along with the place that belonged to Meredith, he discovered, checking the street numbers. It was now midday, and still sunny, though cool enough to require his jacket yet. He raised his Serengeti sunglasses to the top of his head, and wandered into the antique shop next to hers. The air was musty inside, the light dim, as he scoped out the interior. From behind the counter, a tiny, elderly lady with white hair regarded him curiously.

"Help you?" she inquired, as he moved closer to her. Her lips pursed as she waited for him.

"Yes, ma'am.." he said, giving her his best smile. "I'm with the Sheriff's department in Clarinda County California, and I have a few questions about Meredith Grey, the owner of the store next to you." He held his badge out for her to look at.

"Meredith? She's a sweet girl...what do you think she's involved in?"

"Nothing for certain yet, what do you know about her?"

"Well...she's kind and very friendly...but I have to say, there is something strange about that family of hers..."

Derek raised one eyebrow. "Go on."

"They say the women in her family are able to cast spells...and that local women go to them for love potions..." she confided, and Derek frowned. "Oh, look at your expression...!" she chuckled.

"Are you serious? Mrs...?"

"Oh, just call me Hetty..." she smiled, resting her arms on the counter, her eyes sparkling as she leaned forward. "I don't know how much is folk lore and how much is gossip...but I do know her aunts have been living in the area for a long time...and they are very mysterious. Do you believe in magic, Sheriff?"

"Hardly," he replied dryly. "Especially if you mean witches in pointy black hats...rather cliché, don't you think?"

Hetty shrugged, her white curls bobbing. "Maybe...but every Halloween they do dress up like that and dance on the roof under the moon...tossing candy out for the local children."

Derek blinked, suddenly unable to purge that mental image from his thoughts. "I see. And these aunts of hers..."

"Gwendolyn and Cassandra Grey, both of them just as old as I am, but they look half my age. Neither of them married, and it's said there's curse on the Grey women too - whoever they fall in love with will come to an untimely end! It's not natural, Sheriff. It's got to be magic, sure as I'm standing here."

"All right, well, that's interesting," Derek said, closing his notebook. "Do you believe Meredith could be involved with anything criminal?"

"Honey, no...she's a sweet girl, like I said. Why, she would rather help a person than do anything bad. Even if her shop is filled with all of that hocus pocus stuff..."

Feeling more confused than before, Derek rubbed his temple. "Fine. Does everyone in the area feel the same as you, Hetty?"

"Oh, possibly. Gossip will linger, of course. Even if they aren't witches...there is something strange about the Grey family women. If you want my advice, don't get involved...it only leads to bad things."

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind," Derek assured her, handing over a card to her. "In case you see anything unusual...or more unusual than usual...just call me."

"You got it, honey," Hetty winked at him, pocketing the card.

* * *

Late in the afternoon, Derek found himself in front of Meredith's shop again, and he looked up at the sign. "What dreams may come..." he murmured, reading the inscription. "Well, let's see about this." He pushed the door open and stepped inside the cool interior, not sure of what to expect after listening to tales of magic and witchcraft from the locals. Even though everyone was quick to praise Meredith for her kindness, many were suspicious of the entire Grey family. As Hetty predicted, the common thread was that there was something mysterious, something magical about the Grey women, however that thread didn't sit well with his pragmatic view of life. Magic was the stuff of myths and fairy tales, after all. There was no possible way Meredith Grey was a witch...was there?

Meredith looked up from the customer she was helping, and found herself doing a double-take at the sight of Derek standing there. Even though she knew he would be around, it still took her by surprise to see him standing there. As she finished up the sale, she was aware of his presence, and it made her a little nervous in more ways than one. Cristina was hanging back, keeping herself occupied with a pack of tarot cards, and it surprised her as well to turn up the King of Swords just as Derek walked in. The next card was the Queen of Swords, and the matched pair made Cristina frown. Was this an omen of something to come between Meredith and the upstanding Sheriff? The pair of cards represented strength and intelligence, mixed with wisdom and truth.

"Well, what can I interest you with, Sheriff? Some candles, perhaps?" Meredtih asked, giving him a little smile as he joined her.

"Ah, candles...no I think I'm good for now, thanks." Derek smiled back, feeling unaccountably pleased to see her again, despite all the warnings about her. Really, he chided himself, what did he expect? That she would place a hex on him, curse him with warts? It just wasn't rational; if there was anything magical about her, it was something grounded more in the physical attraction he felt for her.

"I didn't expect to see you here so soon."

"I've been talking with the owners of the shops around here," he told her, leaning against the glass counter, getting even closer to her. "Getting some background information."

"About me?" Meredith's tone was cool, her eyebrows raised.

"It's just procedure, you must be aware of how it works."

"So what are they telling you?"

Derek shrugged. "Some very intriguing things, I have to say. I don't quite know what to make of it."

"Really...well, I'm sure you deal in facts, not gossip, Sheriff. And what does that have to do with finding Dylan?"

"You know what I think?" Derek edged a little closer, wanting to reach out and touch her hair to see if it was soft as it looked. He lowered his voice so that she had to lean in closer as well.

"What?" Meredith murmured, suddenly caught up in the blue of his eyes.

"I think you and your friend know much more than you're telling me..."

"...oh?"

"...and I'm very persistent when I set my mind to it..."

"I see.."

"So why don't you just tell me now and get this over with?"

Meredith felt that flicker along her senses again, something about this man rendered her usual resolve to fall into tatters. And now he was in her space, so close that she had a crazy impulse to kiss him. She completely lost track of where they were, or that Cristina was still sitting in the back of the shop. "I...well...it was not what you expect..."

"I have no idea what to expect at this point, so try me..." he urged, his voice a seductive temptation.

Before Meredith could surrender completely and tell him something better left unsaid, Maddox sauntered along the counter and insinuated his furry body in-between them. Derek looked down at the cat, raising one eyebrow. "And this is?"

"Oh...that's Maddox..." Meredith sighed, coming back to her senses. Cristina joined them as well, shaking her head. "Sometimes he doesn't know when to keep to himself..."

Maddox sat down on the counter, giving Derek a look that almost seemed calculated to make him uncomfortable. "Very protective for a cat," Derek murmured. "But I like cats, actually."

"Really? Most men don't..."

"Well, I have a small ranch in California, and I value cats for their presence. Dogs too, of course, but cats are very unique..." He stretched his fingers out slowly, and Maddox deigned to let Derek scratch his head.

"A ranch?"

"Nothing big, but I have a couple of horses that keep my mind off work at the end of the day."

Meredith processed this information- not only did he match her specifications physically, now she realized he could ride a horse. This was getting even more bizarre.

"Sheriff...maybe you should come by the house for dinner," she offered, ignoring Cristina's little squeak of protest behind her. "I swear, we have nothing to hide. You can see for yourself."

"I think I can fit that into my schedule," he smiled. "And call me Derek..."

"All right, Derek...see you around eightish?"

"I'll be there." He gave Maddox a final scratch under the chin, and turned to head out the door.

"Again...are you out of your freaking mind?" Cristina demanded, her hands on her hips. "Inviting him for dinner?"

"I can't seem to help myself," Meredith sighed. "We can stash the truck at your parents, and if the books are really in Dylan's things...we can deal with it somehow..."

"I hope you know what you're doing, cuz this has bad idea written all over it."

* * *

Once they had the Landcruiser parked inside the garage at Cristina's house, they pulled the suitcase out of the back of it. Again, Meredith was assailed by the feeling of strong magic, and she eyed the suitcase carefully. "I don't like this," she muttered, touching the lock that secured the zipper.

"It's probably a bunch of dirty clothes and funky socks..." Cristina smirked, trying to lighten the mood.

"Let's take it home. If there's something really freaky here, I'm contacting the aunts for some advice."

"D'you think they'll help? They seemed pretty judgy when they left."

"They don't stay mad long..." Meredith smiled. "We can pick up some dinner along the way..."

"Wait a minute...you invited Sheriff McDreamy for dinner and you can't cook? Not even conjure up a spell or two?"

"My spell casting doesn't exactly run towards edible items. And what do you mean...McDreamy?"

"Well, you did say he was tall, dark and dreamy...maybe I should just go hang out at Joe's tonight and let you two get better acquainted."

"Seriously, Cris...you have to stay with me to make sure I don't tell him something about this..." She indicated the suitcase they carried between them.

"Fine...but if it starts to get romantic between you two, I'm leaving...maybe that cute doc from the hospital will want to buy me a drink."

"Alex? Getting over Dylan pretty quick aren't you?"

"Given the circumstances, I think that might be a good idea, don't you?"

"Good point."

They stowed the bag in the back of Meredith's Jeep and drove towards the local deli that offered takeout meals, and had a good selection of wine as well. As they strolled the aisles, selecting dinner, Meredith suddenly felt a tingle along her nerves, and she glanced over her shoulder. It was that uncanny feeling that indicated the presence of another witch, other than Cristina, but she really couldn't understand that. As far as she was aware, they were the only ones in this area, and her aunts were not in the city either.

"Did you feel something weird?" she whispered, stopping in front of the rack of wine.

"Feel what?"

"Oh crap, you really are losing your touch..." Meredith made a show of studying the labels on the wine bottles, as she tried to figure out what was going on. "I just felt a chill, like another witch is close by."

"Seriously?" Cristina raised her eyebrows. "You still feel it?"

Meredith shivered a little, but shook it off. "No, I think it's gone, whatever, whomever, it was...let's just get out of here. I'm calling the aunts for sure now."

It wasn't until dinner was warming in the oven and the table was set, that Meredith settled onto the sofa with her cell phone. There was still time before Derek was supposed to arrive, and she wanted to get some reassurance from the aunts. Even if they were going to chastise her for doing the spell on Dylan, so be it. Just as she held it up, poised to punch in Gwen's number, it trilled with an incoming call. "Oh Goddess..." she murmured, seeing that it was Gwen calling her.

"There's something going on, isn't there?" Gwen asked, without any greeting. "I can tell."

"Yes, hello to you too, Aunt Gwen..." Meredith sighed. "We had a wee bit of trouble with the spell, as you predicted..." She related the fallout from that and ended with sensing another witch close by in the deli.

"Have you looked at the contents of the suitcase yet?"

"I was about to that but I wanted to talk to you first. Do you think its bespelled?"

"It may very well be...and the witch you sensed probably wants it back. Please promise me you won't open that case until Cassandra and I return home. Lock it up, put a spell of your own on the lock, and we'll be home as quick as we can."

"What about the Sheriff? He wants to take the books back to the antique book dealer."

"I'm sure the man has no clue about anything magical," Gwen reminded her. "Just do what you have to do to make sure he goes back to California without them, convinced that this Dylan character has absconded with them, never to be seen again."

"What about Dylan...is he really gone?"

"I hope so, child. If he's wandering as a disembodied soul, it could be tragic. We'll deal with that as well. You and Cristina stay home, have this dinner and then send this Sheriff packing, do you understand?" Gwen asked, her voice brusque, but Meredith knew it was more from concern than anger.

"Understood. We'll be waiting for you..." Meredith promised. "Thanks, Aunt Gwen. I'm so sorry this all turned out badly..."

"Sometimes you have to cast the spells and learn your lessons, Meredith. Cassie and I love you, we'll get this set to rights."

"I love you too...hug Aunt Cassie for me!"

Cristina dropped onto the sofa, and held out a shot of tequila. "Here, you look like you need this. What did Aunt Gwen tell you?"

Meredith took the shot glass gratefully. "Lock up the case until she gets here, and in the meantime, convince Derek that Dylan is gone with them..."

"Are you going to use magic for that little persuasion?"

"Magic and feminine wiles if I have to..."


	7. Revealing Secrets

**Dinner at the Grey house may not be quite what Derek expected...**

* * *

**Chapter Six - Revealing Secrets**

Derek stood on the front porch again at Meredith's at a few minutes to eight, a bottle of red wine in his hand. The sun was already gone, and the yard was in shadows. Despite his law enforcement background, and his pragmatic view of life, he admitted that he felt a little spooked after all of the tales he heard during the day. A cool breeze skittered around the eaves of the house, and somewhere a shutter was banging back and forth.

"Get a grip, Shep..." he muttered, before lifting his hand to press the doorbell. "It's just an old house." Another gust of wind ruffled his hair, and sent a shiver down his spine. Damn weather...if this was an indication of Seattle's climate, they could keep it. California was much more hospitable.

It only took a moment before Meredith opened the door, and the sight of her, backlit from the foyer, made him forget his temporary discomfort. Her hair seemed to glow, tumbling in loose waves around her face and over her shoulders. She was wearing a diaphanous black skirt that swirled around her bare legs, and a delicate purple silk camisole that seemed far too light for the cool weather. There was a gold chain with a dainty locket at her throat, drawing his eyes to her creamy skin. "Hey, Derek..." she greeted him, reaching for his hand. "I'm glad you made it."

"I never miss an invitation for dinner," he grinned. He squeezed her fingers, as she pulled him inside, feeling completely at ease with her. Part of the reason he didn't get involved with a lot of women was the whole first date awkwardness, the getting to know you phase, but he felt none of that with Meredith.

As the door eased shut behind him, she smiled up at him. "Let me take your jacket, it's nice and warm inside...I know the air is a little chilly out there this time of night."

"Not what I'm used to," he admitted, setting the wine bottle on the front hall table. The house was comfortably warm, he realized, as Meredith helped him slide the leather jacket off him. Her fingers seemed to linger along his arms, the touch warm through the sleeves of his shirt. He turned to face her again. "I hope you like a good Shiraz." Indicating the bottle beside him.

"Thank you...and yes..." Meredith started to lead the way to the family room, where the fireplace was giving off welcome warmth, but Derek caught her arm.

"Meredith, can I just say something before we go any further?" he asked, unable to resist the attraction he felt to her. He closed the space between them, his hands at her shoulders.

"Of course..." Meredith felt the flutter of attraction between them, even without the aid of magic. Sweet, hot, desire bubbled in her core as she lifted her face to him.

"I haven't been able to stop thinking about you all day," he confessed, lowering his face to hers. "There's something so compelling about you...I just need to tell you that. My feelings for you are beyond the investigation about Cooper..." He touched her hair, finding it just as soft as he imagined. "Even though we just met...I feel like there is something between us, is that strange?"

Meredith shook her head. "Not strange, Derek. I feel it too..." Even without the aid of magic, there was something there, something she couldn't resist either. She didn't know how she was going to be able to send him away at the end of the evening; even though Gwendolyn had told her to get rid of him.

"Good, then I'm not crazy..." he murmured, closing the space between them, and claiming her mouth with an urgency she hadn't felt before with any other man. He kissed her harder, his tongue taking possession of hers, as his embrace lifted her off her feet. She surrendered easily, realizing she needed to seduce him but oh this was so damn sweet at the same time. She shouldn't be so caught up in the moment, and she hadn't even cast any spell, but the kiss was more than she expected. Her body molded against him, and her arms found their way around his neck as she returned the kiss with a desire that took her by surprise. This wasn't going to be easy.

Derek backed away slowly, relishing the drowsy look of desire in her eyes. "Forgive me...I just had the most incredible desire to kiss you. I don't usually do that after such a short time of acquaintance, but I wanted to do that from the moment I first saw you." His fingers caressed her cheek briefly.

"No apology necessary..." she breathed. "I feel just as attracted to you. But we have all evening...and Cristina is here..."

"I understand," he assured her. "I came for dinner, so lead the way..."

In the family room, a fire burned in the large grate, and Cristina was waiting for them on the sofa. "Sheriff...good to see you. Drink?" She held up her glass.

"That might be a good idea," he agreed, thinking of the softness of Meredith's lips that he had been loathe to let go of.

"We have tequila, whiskey...Scotch...?"

"Scotch...on ice, would be perfect."

"Coming up..!" Cristina jumped up to freshen her drink, and get one of the cut crystal tumblers for Derek. "Mer has dinner just about ready. How d'you like Seattle so far?"

"It's damp, and cool...I can understand why you were living in California," he replied, taking a seat close to the fire. He crossed one leg over the other, adjusting the crease in his trousers. "Tell me how you met Dylan Cooper...?"

"Oh...well, you know...just one of those things..." Cristina shrugged. "We bumped into each other at the farmer's market one day, and one thing led to another...he was a nice guy, but he really had some issues about the war and all..."

"Yes, along with the Green Peace movement, PETA and several other causes," Derek observed dryly. "Still...it was a long way from that to stealing books..."

"I told you before, I don't know anything about that. He's gone and good riddance," Cristina told him. "We really don't know anything else."

Derek frowned, before taking a sip of the Scotch. It was definitely well aged, with the aroma of peat and alcohol combined in that unique smoky flavor he liked; it was smooth on his tongue and burned down his throat to warm him even further. "So you really don't mind if I look around?"

"Knock yourself out," Cristina smirked. "I mean, I don't live here, but Meredith has nothing to hide."

"What about you, Ms Yang? What do you have to hide?" he asked smoothly, watching her try to pull the sleeves of her sweater over her wrists. "Was he abusive? Is that why you're hiding your involvement?"

"Erm...yes...he was kind of intense that way," she admitted. "Nothing to get your undies in a bunch about...but still..his temper got the best of him sometimes."

"No doubt." Derek left the doubt linger in his comment, waiting for her to continue. Sometimes it was better to keep quiet, and let the people fill in the blanks about the situation. It was something he'd learned from his father, a long time officer, and usually did the trick. Of course, Cristina was aware of what he was doing and managed to out wait him, just looking at him over the rim of her glass.

"So if you don't find him, you'll be leaving Seattle then?" she asked finally.

Derek shrugged. "Probably. I'll have to file a missing person report, but there isn't much else I can do here. Nate will be sorry not to get his books back, though..."

Meredith joined the conversation then, settling onto the sofa beside Cristina. "You never did say what kind of books were missing...are they really that valuable?"

"To Nate, they are. But other than that, I don't know for sure. Combined with Cooper's disappearance, however, it does look odd. It doesn't make a whole lot of sense."

"Well, if we could help, we would..." Meredith murmured, thinking of the suitcase locked up safely. Suddenly, a gust of wind banged one of the shutters outside, and they all flinched a little. "We need to get that fixed..."

"So tell me about your aunts," Derek prompted. "I heard a lot about them today."

"My aunts? Oh, they are a little eccentric..."

"That isn't exactly the term used to describe them. It was more along the lines of unusual and magical. Care to elaborate?" Derek asked, taking another sip of his drink.

"Magical?" Meredith laughed. "Oh my...you don't really believe that, do you?"

"Not entirely, I'm much more practical than that."

"Well good...but you know it's been the gossip for years around here...my aunts do like to give advice to the lovelorn, and sometimes it gets blown out of proportion."

"Of course...where are they now?"

"Out of town. They should be back within a day," Meredith replied.

At that point, wind began to gust even harder around the eaves of the old house, and shutters banged even more insistently. Cold edged along Meredith's spine, and she realized she felt the presence of the other witch again. She exchanged a panicked look with Cristina, who even realized something was going on as well this time. The house seemed to shudder, and the lights blinked off briefly, and then back on. Only the candles remained untouched, still flickering serenely.

"What's going on?" Derek asked, setting his glass down. "I don't recall hearing about a storm moving in tonight..."

Meredith jumped up, her senses on alert. "You can't predict the weather around here, Derek...things happen quickly in Seattle." Her fingers toyed with her locket nervously, belying her words however.

Derek looked from Cristina to Meredith, noting the change in their body language, and he frowned. "This seems like more than a change in the barometer," he murmured, listening to the wind howl around the windows, as if it were trying to get inside the house.

"Just stay there...I'll go check the windows..." Meredith hurried away, with Cristina at her heels, before Derek could say another word. But he had no intention of sitting still and he moved just as quickly to follow them. He could just hear them whispering together in the kitchen, and he held back for a moment.

"There's something out there..." Meredith hissed. "Another witch, damnit...Gwen was right."

"Can we keep her out?"

"I hope so." Meredith closed her eyes, and held her hands out, palms facing the glass. As Derek watched, she seemed to gather inner strength and her voice was low and throaty as she spoke some words that he couldn't understand. He inched closer, unable to fully comprehend what he was seeing, but whatever it was seemed to bring credence to what he heard earlier.

"I banish thee with the power of fire. So mote it be..." She waved her fingers towards the candle Cristina held and it flared to life instantly.

"I banish thee with the power of the earth. So mote it be..." She flicked her hand towards a potted plant and a ball of dirt leaped out to hover beside the candle.

"I banish thee with the strength of water. So mote it be..." And this time she called for the water from the plant mister, so that a fine mist hung in the air.

"Wind, join the other forces and leave us be...leave this place and take the evil with you. So mote it be!" She clapped her hands sharply, and the wind suddenly lifted her hair and the candles fluttered wildly in response. Derek was rooted to the spot, unable to tear his eyes away, as the wind began to die down, both inside and out. He swore to himself he could see some kind of white smoke drift by outside past the darkened glass, and he felt a ripple of cold. He flinched, and the sudden movement made him bump into the table beside him, rattling the china figurines there.

"What the hell?" Cristina muttered, and Meredith spun around, meeting Derek's astonished gaze.

"Oh shit..."

* * *

Dinner ended up being served, somewhat over heated, and the three of them sat in uncomfortable silence for a moment. Derek took a large gulp of his wine, setting the goblet down carefully, before crossing his arms over his chest.

"Please tell me we're not going to sit here and eat dinner as if that..." he gestured towards the kitchen, "...didn't just happen."

"I'm sorry you had to see that," Meredith said quietly. "But I did tell you to stay put."

"Sometimes I don't follow orders well."

"I suppose that's why you're the Sheriff," she sighed, taking a swallow of wine as well, trying to think of what she would tell him.

"So it would seem that the local gossip about your family has some truth to it. Or rather, a LOT of truth to it."

"You sound rather...calm about that," Cristina commented.

"I'm not sure calm is the right term. Disbelieving, shocked, awed...a combination of the above. If there is a logical explanation, I'm all ears, however..."

"Logical doesn't exactly apply here, does it?"

"I have to agree with you there."

Meredith reached across the table and touched his hand. "You deserve the truth. Even if you're going to think it's crazy. I can tell you're a logical man, accustomed to black and white facts, and no shades of grey, pardon the pun. Unfortunately, this situation has thrown you into our world, Derek. Those books that Dylan allegedly stole have some magical connotations, something that even we're not sure about. My aunts warned me that another witch likely wants to get them, and that is what was causing the windstorm outside. She wanted in..."

"And you stopped her? You're really a witch?" Derek couldn't help but sound disbelieving, and he grabbed the wine goblet again. The rich taste of the wine barely registered as he swallowed, and set the goblet down nearly drained. Cristina lifted the bottle and refilled the goblet, topping up Meredith's as well.

Meredith sighed. "Yes, and so is Cristina, and so are my aunts. My family comes from a long line of witches that goes back to Salem. We try to keep a low profile, but we do try to help out with people that are willing to believe. This sort of thing really doesn't happen much, quite honestly. I don't know what Dylan was mixed up in, or if he was bespelled to steal the books...but it's causing us a lot of grief."

"Where is Dylan now?"

Cristina exchanged a glance with Meredith. "We're not sure...that's the truth."

"But he was here?"

"He was, rather briefly," Meredith admitted. "However, due to a slight miscalculation by Cristina...he was sort of dead by an overdose of belladonna."

"Wait, sort of dead?" Derek was getting increasingly confused, and not due to the alcohol. Nothing in his experience had prepared him for this turn of events.

"We tried to bring him back, and my aunts told me it wasn't a good idea. It didn't go well..." Meredith started to say.

"You can do that?"

"Well...it's possible, but we ended up sending him out the door in a windstorm..." Cristina sighed, rolling her eyes.

"He really wasn't himself, he was dark and twisted...but I blame the other witch more so than the spell to bring him back, seriously..."

Derek rubbed his temples, and pushed his chair back from the table. "All right, if I believe half of what you're telling me...I'm going to ask you again...where is Dylan now?"

"Just gone...wandering as a lost soul, but maybe still tethered somewhat to the other witch. I believe my aunts will be able to help us with that when they come back."

"How soon will that be?"

"Soon, probably by tomorrow at the latest. They should be able to straighten all of this out, and you can take the books back..."

"Wait..." Cristina grabbed Meredith's arm. "Didn't Aunt Gwen tell you to..."

Meredith frowned. "She didn't expect this turn of events, Cris. Derek's involved in this now...how can I possibly send him away? There's a storm coming, and we're all in this together."

"You were supposed to send me away?" Derek asked, raising one eyebrow. After the kiss they had shared earlier, somehow he wondered about their connection, and if he could have been persuaded to leave. Even now, after hearing all of these revelations, he was still drawn to this mysterious woman, something he couldn't explain to himself. She was obviously strong and independent, but he sensed some vulnerability beneath that exterior, something that she didn't want to admit. She was deadly and yet feminine at the same time. Mark would have a field day with this, he realized.

With a little half-smile, Meredith nodded. "It wasn't my choice, but Aunt Gwen thought it would be best."

"I think this is my cue to leave," Cristina smirked, getting to her feet. "There's a bottle of tequila with my name on it calling me."

"Cris, maybe you shouldn't..."

"I can take care of myself."

"Oh, yes, I've seen how well that turned out before."

"Besides, I don't have what this other witch wants...I'm free and clear, and I'm ready for some fun. Don't wait up!" Cristina laughed and hurried out the door before Meredith could even lift a hand to stop her.

"Is she always like this?" Derek asked.

"As long as I've known her," Meredith sighed, before taking a sip of wine. So far the food had been untouched, and she managed a small laugh. "This dinner was kind of a bust, wasn't it? I'm sorry..."

In response, Derek's mouth quirked into a smile, and he lifted his goblet. "I have to say, it wasn't what I expected, but I'm enjoying the company. The floor show was a little over the top...and I may need some time to process it all..." he paused, and his eyes were warm on hers, so that Meredith felt desire simmer between them again.

"I understand..." She pushed to her feet, and picked up some of the plates from the table, suddenly unable to sit still. As she set the dishes onto the counter in the kitchen, she could feel the heat of his body behind her. She turned to face him, placing her hands on his chest. "Derek, we've just met and I don't know if this is a good idea…"

His fingers wound around a strand of her hair as he considered her words. "Meredith, you are a beautiful woman, and something about you has captured me in ways that I don't understand. I appreciate that you have shared some of your secrets with me; I realize that must be difficult for you." Stroking the curve of her cheek, Derek was leaning into her, and she lifted her face up to him.

"You're right, I don't open up to many people – it's a self-preservation habit." She considered telling him about the other detail about the Grey family witches, but it didn't seem to be the right moment. All of her feminine senses were on alert, and the press of his very masculine muscles against her reminded her it had been too long since she had been intimate with a man. Her hands slid around his waist, savoring the tremor that went through him at her touch.

"Then I'm honored..." Derek murmured, before slanting his lips over hers, just the merest touch. A little whimper caught in her throat, and she shifted against him, aware of the throb of his erection against her. Her moan was low and wanting, and he got caught up in her want, his hands sliding to her hips, lifting her against him tightly. He breathed her in, and teased her, rubbing his lips over the corner of her mouth very gently, and whispering her name. With a little sigh, her lips parted, and he slid his tongue inside, into warm, wet heat, into the sensual seduction of her mouth. The world seemed to fall away from them, as they got lost in each other.

In a swift movement, Derek lifted her up on the counter, burying his hands in her hair. Her fingers searched for the buttons on his shirt, eagerly slipping beneath the fabric to touch his skin, before he trailed kisses down her throat, to the swell of her breasts beneath the silky camisole. She gasped, as he pulled away the flimsy material to run his tongue around and over her nipples, one by one. Molten heat enveloped her body, and she was shocked at how much she wanted him.

"Is this magical persuasion?" he murmured, finally lifting his head to meet her passionate gaze.

Meredith shook her head silently, admiring him for a moment. He was so sinfully handsome, so perfectly matching her expectations. She touched his face and traced his lips with her fingers. "This is just us, Derek...the only magic is what we create between us as a man and a woman..."

"Good, I like the sound of that," he told her softly, gathering her petite body in his arms. "I won't worry about you turning me into a toad then..."

Meredith giggled. "No toad, I swear...just take me to bed, Derek..."

"Just show me the way..."


	8. Sharing Passion

**Thanks for the reviews - now on to the steam...enjoy...reviews welcome!**

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**Chapter Seven – Sharing Passion**

Derek followed Meredith's directions, carrying her up the staircase and down the corridor, towards the bedroom at the back of the house. He had a brief moment to look around, taking in the feminine surroundings, the large brass poster bed that looked antique and was covered in vibrant burgundy bedding. There was a ceiling fan overhead, but on this cool evening it wouldn't be necessary. Most of the other furnishings looked antique as well, and rag rugs were scattered on the hardwood floors.

"Here...I'll light some candles..." Meredith murmured, concentrating on the array of votive candles along the fireplace. Several of them flared into life, and Derek marvelled at the gesture.

"That's amazing," he said softly, as she turned to face him. "I'm glad you shared your secret with me."

"I feel like I can trust you, Derek," she whispered. Her eyes burned into him, as she lifted the camisole over her head, and tossing it aside. His breath caught, as she slowly eased the skirt down her hips, leaving only the skimpy thong covering her. She crossed the floor to stand in front of him, completely at ease in her nudity, aware of his arousal. "I want you to touch me now, I just want to feel your hands on me."

It was a request he was eager to comply with. He couldn't pretend he didn't want this any less than she did and he brought one palm up along the delicate line of her cheek and the silky skin of her nape. Her pulse jumped under the pad of his thumb as he stroked the tender spot at the hollow of her throat. Meredith closed her eyes and let her head fall back, caught up in the gentle way he was touching her. Derek's own pulse was pounding, as he dipped his head and nuzzled his mouth against her neck, pressing a brief kiss there. He exhaled, and his hands cupped her breasts, sending the thrill of that first intimate touch to Meredith's core. She moved backwards slowly, leading him to the bed, as he managed to get the buttons on his shirt open and remove it without missing a step.

Catching her against him, he kissed her deeply, his tongue dancing along hers, as the touch of their naked skin together sent shivers along her spine. As she moaned against his mouth, they tumbled backward onto the bedding, and his mouth traced a damp path to circle one rosy nipple. He sucked her, careful not to graze his teeth against her, tugging the sensitive bud deeper into his mouth, rolling it with his tongue and reveling in her breathless gasps of pleasure. She felt so good in his arms like this, so right, and he crushed her to him, letting his mouth dance over her creamy skin. She smelt of lavender and vanilla, a combination that he found extremely erotic.

"Oh goddess..." she moaned, arching in his embrace. "Derek..."

"Too many clothes on..." he growled, needing to feel all of her against him. Without much effort, the delicate material of her thong was ripped away, leaving her completely bare, and she felt pinned by his passionate stare.

"Too many..." she breathed, fumbling with his belt, before he moved off the bed to strip away the rest of his clothes. Her appreciative gaze swept over his lean body, the tight muscle tone and the trail of hair on his chest led her eyes to where he was hard and ready for her. With a small groan, he joined her again, capturing her lips in a deep, hungering kiss. She met that kiss feverishly, just as urgent as he was not to be able to take things slowly.

Meredith broke the kiss and trailed the tip of her tongue down the side of his neck, and he shook with the sudden jolt of desire that flooded his veins. Blood seemed to rush through his body and down to the throbbing length of his cock. His skin burned, at the soft kisses she pressed against his shoulders and his chest, and he could feel the damp, feminine heat against him as his hips pushed down. "Hell, Meredith..." he growled, drawing in a sharp hiss of breath as she nipped playfully at the tender skin on his throat. At this rate, he couldn't take much more teasing, and when she reached down between them to stroke the length of his shaft, he couldn't bite back a groan of erotic need. Her palm slid over the head of his cock, her touch both curious and demanding as she slicked the moisture over the sensitive skin.

"Don't take it slow...I want you too much..." Meredith whispered, as he moved between her legs more urgently. Her thighs parted, and his cock nestled into the wet cleft of her body, his body primed to drive deep, but he held back. He played at entering her, sliding between the wet folds of her body as he teased his mouth along the edge of her lips. Muttering soft words of pleasure, encouraging both of them with the desire that spiked between them. Then his fingers stroked her, delving into the wetness, driving her into a spiral of pleasure. He had the sudden urge to give her pleasure unlike anyone had before him, to imprint himself on her. Kissing his way down her body, savoring every inch of her sweet skin from the mounds of her breasts to the firm muscle of her belly, and lower to where her scent tantalized him. He kissed her there, using his lips and tongue and teeth until she was writhing against his mouth. Not stopping, he sucked and stroked her, pleasuring her until she arched up beneath him and cried out with a shattering, shuddering climax.

He lifted his head, his eyes almost smoky with passion, before he kissed her quickly. "Condom?" he asked, raising one eyebrow, realizing this should have been something to consider before.

"In the drawer..." she panted, glad that she had remembered to stock up, not sure if this had been a possibility, but obviously hoping for it. As Cristina always said, be prepared, but cast a spell too. It only took a moment before he was with her again, grasping himself, rubbing the tip of his cock to stroke the bud of her clit. She moaned, arching to meet his touch, spreading her legs wide to invite him deeper. "Please, Derek...I need you so much..." He couldn't stand to hold back any longer, rising up to cover her with his body, thrusting deep and groaning in satisfaction at the feel of her hot, wet walls of her sheath contracting around his cock. Driving into her, needing her warmth, her touch, in ways he hadn't even realized.

Meredith was lost in the way he made her feel, losing control completely, as he took them both close to the edge of climax. She wrapped around him, as he moved against her, his body taut with the imminent release. Her body convulsed around him, and he plunged as far as she could take him, and he pulled her closer, devouring her mouth, trying to prolong the delicious feeling of the pure physical delight of being together. She held him tightly, moaning and lost in the molten heat consuming her from head to toe. With a final growl of satisfaction, he came hard, overcome by the intensity, his body spent, breath coming fast and hard. For a moment, he kissed her gently, smoothing her hair back from her damp forehead, loathe to move a muscle to break their connection.

"Are you all right?" he asked, easing away, but keeping her tightly against him, their legs still tangled together.

"Yeah…perfect…" she murmured, her smile evident in the drowsy contentment of her voice.

"Good, me too…" he managed to say, and he wondered exactly what he had gotten himself into. He propped himself on one elbow, looking down at her, the slight sheen of perspiration on her skin illuminated by the flickering candles. The little locket at her throat glinted in the light and he was curious about it. "Is there some significance about this?" he asked, touching it gently.

"It was my mother's, she gave it to me not long before she passed away," Meredith murmured, her fingers touching his at the same time.

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to dredge up some bad memories..." He brushed a quick kiss over her cheek, seeing the look of sadness cross her features.

"It was a long time ago...yet I feel close to her because of this," Meredith confessed, feeling comfortable in his embrace. "She was a very wise witch... I still feel her presence in many ways."

"Would she approve of us like this?" Derek indicated their intimate position.

"She would be happy if I'm happy, I think." Meredith shifted to face him, quite content to be under the feather duvet with Derek, their bodies still retaining the heat of their satisfaction. She touched the dusting of coarse hair on his chest, still in wonder that they were here like this. "But there is something I need to tell you..."

"What is it? Tell me you don't have some crazy ex-husband in the attic or something?" He caught her hand and kissed her palm, almost possessive in the gesture.

"No, nothing like that...but...there is a supposed curse for the women in my family..." Meredith sighed.

"A curse?" One of his eyebrows went up.

"Well, yes...it's crazy...but if we fall in love, our beloved will fall to an early demise."

"Seriously? You believe that?"

"My father died young, and my mother followed soon after...it's the curse..." Meredith frowned. "But maybe it can be broken, my mother seemed to think I would meet someone that would do that. Maybe it's you..."

"You mean that you haven't fallen in love because of the curse?" Derek managed to sound completely serious.

"Maybe...and maybe I added my own restrictions on meeting the right man...so I wouldn't get hurt."

"I see, and do I meet those restrictions?" Derek kissed her softly, revelling in the feel of her next to him, something he was loathe to give up, even after one night

"More than you know," Meredith sighed. "I made a vow I would fall in love with a man who was black haired, blue eyed, could ride a horse..."

Derek shook his head. "No wonder you looked at me like I was somewhat strange when we first met."

"I didn't know about the ranch thing though...how many horses do you have?"

"Just two...Gandalf and Glorianna, both Arabian, both very amazing animals."

"What interesting names...you do realize the significance of those names?"

"Something mystical, I know that."

Meredith nodded. "Gandalf was the wizard in "The Lord of the Rings", of course, and Glorianna was a character in a medieval poem "The Faerie Queen". Both very powerful..."

"Interesting, they do seem to be living up to their names," Derek mused, toying with her hair as she talked.

"Do you have any kind of mystical background?"

"Not that I'm aware of. The names just appealed to me." Derek shrugged. "Just in the way that the Ford Mustang car appealed to me when I was renting a vehicle at the airport."

"It's so bizarre...yet it must have a reason. " Meredith puzzled. Before she could say anything else, however the candles on the dresser started to flicker again. Her senses prickled again, and she sat up, pulling the sheets around her. "Oh goddess...the other witch is trying to get in again.."

Derek sat up beside her, his senses on alert as well. "What can we do?"

She appreciated the fact that he was willing to help her, when he had just been pulled into this part of her life tonight. "I'm not sure..." She kissed him quickly, before sliding out of bed. "But we should get dressed, being naked isn't a good way to face the unknown..."

"Good point..." Derek slid out of bed and found the clothes he'd hastily discarded earlier. "I have a gun in the car, should I get that?"

"It wouldn't work against magic," Meredith told him. "Just stay with me, okay?"

"Got your back..." he muttered, senses on alert for whatever might be coming, but wishing he had a gun in his hand nonetheless. They crept down the staircase, towards the kitchen. Candles still flickered there, but the door was ajar now.

"This is bad..." Meredith whispered.

"Where are the books?" Derek asked, glancing over his shoulder, not sure what to expect at this point.

"Locked away, under my spell..."

A cool breeze rippled the air, and they exchanged a worried glance. At that moment, white smoke appeared, and Meredith gasped. Before their astonished gaze, the smoke swirled and took shape of a woman. Again, Derek was shaken by the fact that this was so far removed from his usual encounters, and he frowned. Loving Meredith had been real and this was just part of that obviously. Something he had to get used to, or leave it alone.

"Who are you?" Meredith asked, her hands itching to push this stranger out the door.

For a moment, the wraith seemed to hover as if she hadn't heard the question but then she settled on the floor. She was tall and slim and her hair was silver, contrasting with her black clothing. Her skin was pale and her eyes were flashing black as she considered them.

"I banished you..." Meredith noted, ready to cast another spell to get rid of her. " You have no business being here."

"Oh...I am much more powerful than you, little witch!" the wraith laughed, her head back. "I left because I wanted to, not because you wanted me to..."

"So why are you here now?"

"I'm here to get my books.."

"Fine...but what if I'm not ready to give them up?" Meredith wasn't about to hand them over without a fight. Derek put his hands on her shoulders, keeping a close eye on the other witch. This evening had gone from strange to sublime to bizarre, and he wasn't sure how it was going to end.

"Oh but you will give them up. I have leverage."

"What are you talking about?"

For a moment, the other witch didn't answer, she merely strolled around the kitchen, before fixing her cool gaze on Derek. "Your lover here is quite distracting, it's no wonder you weren't paying attention to me." She trailed her fingers over his arm, and he jerked away from her. "Oh don't be shy..."

"Look...whatever your name is, what you have doesn't interest me..." Meredith muttered.

The witch floated around to face Meredith again. "My name is Idris...and I have your friend Cristina...still not interested?"


	9. Making a Deal

**Thanks for the reviews so far. I admit, this story is going far to left field from the original movie premise! Let's see where this chapter heads...**

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**Chapter Eight - Making a Deal  
**

"My name is Idris...and I have your friend Cristina...still not interested?"

Meredith stared incredulously at the witch who had uttered those words, and she tried to make sense of the situation, scrambling to think of a solution. She couldn't recall her aunts mentioning any witch by the name of Idris before; it was obvious this woman was much more powerful. "What have you done with Cris?" she managed to ask weakly.

"Oh, she's safe for now, along with the man she was with. They seemed to be having a good time before I interrupted them," Idris smiled, perching on the counter. "Just give me the books and I'll release them from the spell and we'll all be happy!" She clapped her hands to emphasize her point, and the gesture made the pots hanging above the stove begin to bang against each other in a cacophony of sound.

"Damnit! Make it stop...!" Derek shouted above the din.

"Bah...you're no fun..." Idris rolled her eyes, but clapped her hands to stop the pots from swaying. The silence was a relief.

"You had to take Alex too? He's not part of this mess," Meredith snapped, her ears still ringing.

"Is that his name?"

"Who's Alex?" Derek asked.

"A friend, who met Cris the other night..." Meredith replied quickly, before looking at Idris again. "Why are those books so important? From what I was told they aren't that special..."

"Never you mind why I want them...I went to the trouble of getting that fool Dylan to steal them for me, and I will have them, if you please." Idris locked eyes with the Meredith. "Don't resist me...you know I can cast a spell on you faster than you can blink."

"Why didn't you just take them yourself?" Derek asked suspiciously. "Seems that it would have been simpler."

"Long story, hot stuff. Suffice to say, I needed the non-magical human to take them."

Before Meredith could consider a comeback to that comment, the door flew open again, and this time Gwendolyn and Cassandra flew inside. They looked at Idris and then at Meredith, with Derek still standing close behind her. "Dear goddess, we're just in time, Cassie..." Gwen muttered. "I should have known you were behind this whole thing, Idris."

"You know her?" Meredith asked.

"Of course, we go way back, don't we, Idris? You've always been a troublemaker, now take yourself out of this house!" Gwendolyn raised her hands, ready to cast a spell. Cassandra moved closer to Meredith, her usually serene expression troubled.

"Oh, I can leave," Idris commented, her tone bored. "But then you will never find out where Cristina is. Can you deal with that?"

"I'm sure I can find her, Idris," Gwendolyn shot a murderous glare towards the other witch. "Now get out of my house, before I turn you into hot house flower and set you outside for the bugs to chew on!"

"Fine, if you're going to be bitchy about it," Idris sighed, and dropped lightly to the floor. "Here's the deal then – you have 24 hours to hand over the books and you get your friends back, all right?"

"And if we find them first, the deal's off..." Gwendolyn countered, narrowing her eyes.

"Sure, but I really don't believe you will find them." Idris nodded and snapped her fingers, disappearing before their eyes.

Meredith sighed, and Derek tightened his grip on her shoulders. The kitchen was silent for a few moments, while they all gathered their thoughts, before Cassandra headed for the stove. "Tea, anyone? I think I need some."

"You have some explaining to do, Meredith," Gwendolyn said, meeting Derek's eyes then. "And you are the Sheriff, I assume?"

"Yes, ma'am...Derek Shepherd." Derek gathered his wits, and extended his hand. He was suddenly aware that his shirt was still half-unbuttoned, his hair likely a mess of curls from their bout of passion, and that he was barefoot from their haste to get to the kitchen. All in all, not a favorable first impression, he realized, especially on this formidable aunt of Meredith's. He could feel the cool emanating from her, as her jade green eyes swept over him, taking everything in. She was dressed in a black cape that covered her to her ankles, and her auburn hair was swept up in a bun, and she reminded him of his fourth grade teacher who could see through any excuse for missed homework.

"I'm Gwendolyn Grey, Meredith's aunt, and that is Cassandra..." She indicated her sister fussing with the tea pot. Gwendolyn shook his hand, trying to get a measure on him. Meredith had seldom dated, and yet it was clear these two had already been intimate. While she had wanted her niece to convince the man to leave, obviously the night had not gone as planned.

"Well, why don't we sit down and you can tell me exactly what happened?" she suggested. "Cassie will have tea and sugar cookies ready in a minute. I find everything is better with tea."

"I'm just going to go get my shoes, is that all right?" Derek asked, needing a moment.

"I'll come with you..." Meredith urged, leading him away from the aunts, needing that moment herself.

"Fine, but don't be long, we do need to formulate a plan."

"Be right back!" Meredith hustled Derek up the stairs to her bedroom, not speaking until they were both inside, with the door closed. She leaned against it gratefully, closing her eyes for a second. "I'm so sorry...I really didn't expect things to go this way tonight," she murmured.

"Hey, it's okay," he assured her, moving closer to pull her into his arms. He folded her slight body against him, and rested his chin on her head. His hand tangled in her hair, stroking his thumb along the nape of her neck in lazy circles. Feeling her relax against him, as her head tipped back so that she could see him. There was concern in his eyes, along with dark desire that seemed to be natural between them already. He felt solid and comforting against her, something she wasn't accustomed to – it felt good to have someone to lean on for a change.

His mouth landed against her throat, lips parted, tongue skating along her warm skin. Wet, slow kisses along her collarbone, flicking his tongue at her pulse point, feeling it hammering madly. Trying to regain his focus, Derek made himself stop for a moment, his breathing quickened as well. Her soft lips parted so temptingly, Derek couldn't resist claiming her mouth in a long, hot kiss. His tongue swept inside the warmth of her mouth, and his arms tightened around her, as he stroked her, giving her the kisses that were only a reminder of what they had shared earlier. Her soft throaty whimpers adding to his arousal, until they were breathless.

"This is crazy..." she sighed finally, breaking the kiss to rest her head against his chest. "We need to get back to the kitchen."

"Am I going to be safe with your aunts?" he laughed softly. "You have to admit, your Aunt Gwendolyn is rather fierce." He kept her hand in his as they walked towards the bed, finding his shoes along the way. As she straightened the bedding, he finished dressing properly, before checking his hair in the mirror.

"Oh, she can be, but don't worry." Meredith tidied her own hair, and pulled on a bulky sweater over her camisole. "If she knows I care about you, she'll be on your side."

"And do you care...?" Derek tilted his head and looked at her reflection in the mirror.

"You have to ask?" she managed to giggle. "I thought our previous actions were pretty clear..."

"It was pretty clear, but you may need to refresh my memory again on that..." he grinned at her. "But seriously...you are a very fascinating woman, and you have found a way to get to me that no one else has. I don't consider what we did as a casual encounter, and I hope you feel the same way."

"I do feel the same, Derek. I can't explain it, and it's some sort of magic that I have no control over," she confessed, lifting up on her toes to brush a quick kiss over his lips. "But we better go talk with my aunts or Gwen will be casting a summoning spell to drag us downstairs."

Derek threaded his fingers with hers. "That sounds uncomfortable...I don't want to be on her bad side, honey, let's go and see how we can get Cristina back."

* * *

It was close to dawn already, and the sky was beginning to brighten, as they gathered at the large oak table in the kitchen. Along with the teapot and cups, Cassandra had set out plates of sugar cookies, blueberry muffins and banana bread. "Now, I know this is more than just a little snack," Cassandra beamed, "but I have a feeling that you might need a little more sustenance!"

Meredith exchanged a guilty look with Derek as they slid into the chairs at the table. It was true, her stomach was grumbling after the disastrous non-dinner of the previous evening, and their vigorous tumble in bed. Trust Aunt Cassie to understand exactly what they needed - sometimes Meredith swore that her aunt was an empath along with being a witch. Derek winked at Meredith, before thanking Cassandra for the impromptu buffet.

"I appreciate this, ma'am," he smiled. "I can't work properly on an empty stomach." This aunt was much more approachable - whereas Gwendolyn exuded coolness, Cassandra was warmth and cheerfulness. Her dark hair was also up in a chignon, but several strands were loose, and her dove gray dress was less severe. Derek recalled some of the comments Hetty had made earlier, and he realized that it was obvious these two women looked much younger than one would suspect. Magic or good genes, he mused, or a combination of both?

Cassandra patted his shoulder. "This must be all very strange to you, Sheriff; trust me when I say we don't normally have outsiders involved in what we do."

"Aunt Cassie, Derek is more than just an outsider, you know," Meredith pointed out, pouring tea into china mugs.

Gwendolyn popped back into the kitchen at that point, and she picked up on the comment. "What exactly is your relationship to my niece, Sheriff?"

"Please, call me Derek. I don't feel like I'm in an official capacity at this point," he said wryly. "As far as Meredith is concerned, even though I have just met her recently, she has become very special to me. I hope this is all right."

"Aunt Gwen, don't be judgmental...but I know you know what's going on between us," Meredith sighed. She wasn't about to share the details of their evening, but she was quite sure her aunts got the gist of it. She touched Derek's hand, where it rested on the table. "I like him, very much..."

"That's good enough for me," Cassandra smiled, sitting down across from Meredith. "Now, Gwen, we have more pressing things to worry about than this." She raised her eyebrows at her sister.

"Agreed. But if you hurt Meredith, young man, you will be extremely sorry," Gwendolyn said, fixing Derek with a look that was somewhat less stern than before. It was too soon to wonder what would happen if Meredith actually fell in love with this man, the family curse was something to deal with after this crisis.

"That won't happen." Derek squeezed Meredith's hand.

"Good. Now about Cristina, I have some ideas were Idris might be keeping her. She thinks she's so clever, but I'm wiser than she is."

"Who is she, anyway? You've never mentioned her before." Meredith added some sugar to her tea and set her spoon stirring in the mug, absently reaching for a cookie. The spoon spun happily on its own without her fingers on it, Derek realized suddenly.

"Idris Duncan has a family lineage quite like our own, but as I said, she was always a troublemaker. If she wants those books, there's a good chance it's for something evil."

"So you mean she's like the wicked witch in the Wizard of Oz, and your family are like Glinda?" Derek couldn't help asking, his mouth quirked upwards.

"Not on the same level!" Cassandra laughed. "But good analogy."

"So where would she put Cristina and Alex then?" Meredith asked, wrinkling her nose in thought. "Locked up with flying monkeys for protection?"

"Be serious, my dear girl," Gwendolyn sighed. "Finish your tea, and we'll cast a seeking spell. Idris may have her well shielded, but I have my own tricks up my sleeve..."

* * *

Cristina opened her eyes, blinking to clear the dryness, before attempting to sit up. Her head spun and she moaned in irritation. Where the hell was she? The last thing she remembered was drinking tequila shots at Joe's, laughing at something Alex was telling her. Seriously, had she been that drunk? She remembered that there had been some other woman hanging around the bar, sitting alone and nursing a glass of chardonnay until she and Alex got up to leave. Things got a little fuzzy after that.

Suddenly there was a rustle of movement close by, and she squinted in the dim light. "Alex? You there?" She put her hands out, trying to focus some of her waning witch skills onto her surroundings. There was a garbled curse, and then Alex pushed his way out of a heap of blankets a few feet away.

"Cristina?"

"Over here..."

Alex crawled over to her, and found her hands. "Are you hurt?"

"No...I don't think so, anyway."

"What happened?" he muttered. "Feel like I've been on a week long bender..."

Cristina blew out a frustrated puff of air, realizing with a sinking feeling that this situation must have had something to do with that other witch. Damnit but she hated feeling stupid about not realizing it sooner. And so much for being safe - and how would she explain it to Alex?

* * *

**I know...kind of a slow moving chapter! I promise to move things along a little more quickly in the next one!**


	10. Changing Destiny

**So, to be honest, I'm not as happy with this story as I anticipated...and judging from the decreasing hits and reviews on each new chapter, I guess it just isn't going over well with many out there either. I appreciate the few of you that have hung in here so far, but I think it's time to leave the magical realm behind. To that end, this is the last chapter - not to worry, everything will be resolved, won't leave you hanging... **

* * *

**Chapter Nine - Changing Destiny**

Chanting and holding hands, the three Grey witches circled the candles placed on the floor. The air was scented with aromas that Derek couldn't begin to identify, as he watched them avidly. He had to admit, this was the strangest thing he had seen in his life, coming after all the other strange things he'd witnessed since arriving in Seattle. A week ago, he would have said witches didn't exist, that magic was the stuff of movies...and yet here he was, surrounded by it. And accepting it.

He watched Meredith as she kept pace with the aunts, and the words of the spell. It was also difficult to believe that she had become so special to him so quickly. He never believed in love at first sight before, but somehow in this case it seemed to be the only explanation. Shaking his head, he wondered what Mark would have to say about all of this. As if on cue, his cell phone vibrated on his hip then, and he glanced at it before backing away from the kitchen.

"Hey...everything okay?" Mark asked. "Haven't heard from you in awhile, thought maybe something happened."

"Oh, I'm fine...and things have happened you wouldn't believe," Derek informed him quietly, not willing to go into detail over the phone.

"Did you find Cooper?"

"Not exactly, but I know where the books are."

"Great. So you'll be back here soon, then..."

Derek ran one hand through his hair distractedly. "Soon? Well, I'm not sure about that part. It's complicated."

"Does this complication have to do with Ms. Yang's mysterious friend?"

"You could say that..."

"Aha! So you got lucky?"

Derek considered this for a moment. "In more ways than one, Mark."

"That sounds serious. For a man more interested in his horses than women, especially." There was a question in Mark's tone, wanting to know more.

There was a sudden sound of voices raised in the kitchen, and Derek wanted to find out what was going on. "Look, I can't talk now. If things work out today, hopefully I can be on my way home with the books by the end of the week." Whether or not that meant Meredith would be with him was another question.

"Okay, sounds good. But you know I still want all the dirty details."

"We'll talk later. Keep things under control there..."

"No worries, man. Be careful."

Derek ended the call and hurried into the kitchen, finding the women talking together. The candles had been extinguished, and the air was clear of the scent of herbs again. "Was the spell successful?" he asked, sliding his arm around Meredith's waist.

"I believe so," she murmured, looking up at him.

"It was clear that Cristina and Alex are being held together, somewhere by the water."

"That covers a lot of territory," Derek pointed out. "I mean, I know I'm new here and all, but..."

"Point taken, Derek," Gwendolyn nodded. "But there are a few places that have been abandoned, which Idris would think are good to use. One especially calls to me – the old lighthouse at the far edge of Elliot Bay. It's been declared a heritage site, but nothing has been done to restore it. It's rather remote, but I think we should go there first."

"Sounds like a plan. We can take my car, but I don't believe there's enough room for everyone."

"You and Meredith go together, we'll take our van. It will be useful to transport them back," Gwendolyn said. "We'll meet you there."

* * *

Cristina looked around their surroundings, hoping to find some sort of clue as to where they were. She wondered if anyone was going to be looking for them, and hoped that Meredith would be able to find them if that were the case. All she could sense at the moment was darkness and silence, but the air was cool and tinged with the smell of the ocean.

"This is bizarre," Alex muttered, pacing around the enclosed space. "Why would someone put us here?"

"Well...it might have something to do with me," Cristina sighed.

"You? Are you secretly wealthy and someone is hoping to cash in on a reward?"

"Nothing like that, but there was a guy I was involved with that had something stolen in his possession..."

"Which guy?"

"Um, just a guy...but he may have taken some rare books that someone is interested in..."

"Books? Seriously, no one does this kind of thing about books," Alex pointed out, reaching for his cell phone. "And I think I need to call someone to get us out of here." But the phone was useless, there was no signal to be had in this place, and he swore under his breath.

"No use...it's a dark hole," Cristina observed. Not only a black hole, but likely spelled to keep them from contacting anyone.

"Stupid...so much for technology..."

"Look, I'm sure Meredith will be wondering about me. She'll find us."

"Babe, Meredith is a great girl, but I hardly think she's gonna be able to find us here."

"Don't underestimate her, Alex." Cristina shivered, hoping that her words were true. There was no way to get word to anyone and her limited magical abilities were of no use here.

"It's gonna take a miracle if she gets here," Alex muttered, putting his arm around Cristina. "I just hope we get out of here before my shift is supposed to start, or Bailey is gonna be pissed at me." He checked his watch again. "Damnit, never mind, it's already too late for that."

Cristina relaxed into his embrace. "We can make it right with your boss, I promise. Meredith's aunts can be very persuasive."

"If you say so..." Alex tightened his grip on her, hoping that this would work itself out sooner than later, but the situation looked bleak.

* * *

"I hope we're on the right track with this," Meredith murmured, as Derek navigated the car along the bumpy road leading to the abandoned lighthouse. The air was cool and salty, in the early light of the day, coming through the open windows.

"Your aunt seemed very sure of this," he reassured her, reaching one hand out to touch her leg.

"She did seem so," Meredith agreed, covering his hand with hers.

"You and Cristina are very close, aren't you?"

"We've been friends since grade school – two scrawny kids that didn't fit in with anyone else. Even if her magical skills aren't that strong, she was always the one willing to play tricks on the bullies," Meredith smiled at the memory. "A lot of kids called us 'The Twisted Sisters'…"

"Ouch…"

"She's like a sister to me, Derek. We even shared a blood pact before she left Seattle – even though we didn't see eye to eye on her departure. Somehow her life took a different path, she liked having a lot of boyfriends, having a good time…"

"So Cooper wasn't anyone serious?"

"No, thank god…he was abusive, even if she blows it off. I feel a little bad about how he ended up, though…" Meredith sighed. She looked at Derek as he eased the car to a stop close to the lighthouse. "And you know I have to thank you for coming along on this. After all, you've just landed in this situation – you could have backed out and gone home to California."

"I feel very protective of you," he smiled. "Even if you can probably take care of yourself quite well." He turned to her, and cupped her chin. "I hope that's all right with you."

"If it wasn't, I'd send you away and cast a spell to make you forget all about this. Even if that might be the best thing in the long run. I mean, the Grey women are cursed, after all…"

Derek brushed a kiss over her lips. "Then I have a problem, because I think I fell in love with you the moment I saw you."

Sudden heat flooded Meredith at his words. "Oh, Derek...you have no idea what that means..."

"I do, and I hope we find a way to overcome that." He kissed her again, enjoying the feel of her lips and the sigh of her pleasure, before he backed away. "Now, let's rescue your friends."

"Right..." Meredith concentrated on that for the moment, instead of her galloping heart.

At that moment, the rather vintage van of her aunts pulled up alongside of them. It was an old VW van, having seen better days, but the vehicle was still functioning. They kept it in immaculate condition, and it was just as eccentric as they were. Derek removed his pistol from the trunk, tucking it behind his shirt at the small of his back. Maybe it wasn't necessary, or even useful, but he felt better with it.

"Meredith, this is worse than we thought," Cassandra said as soon as her feet hit the ground. "We brought the books along to see if there was some clue to what Idris is looking for." She held up the leather bound books.

"What?"

"The books look innocuous to the human eye, but hidden in the passages are secret messages," Gwendolyn confirmed. "If the books fall into the wrong hands, it would mean world wide chaos in the Wiccan community – Idris wants to control all of us. She must have been searching for this for some time now."

As the words sunk in, sudden clouds obscured the sun, and the wind grew even more chilled off the water. From the doorway of the lighthouse, there was a flash of movement, and then Idris appeared, wrapped in a sky-blue cloak embroidered with silver symbols. A sharp clap of thunder rattled overhead, as she raised her arms upwards. Derek felt the hair stand up on the back of his neck, and he moved to shield Meredith.

"So you found this place…and brought the books…" Idris observed. "How convenient. I knew you would see things my way."

"The 24 hours are far from over," Gwendolyn pointed out. "That was the deal."

"I lied…" Idris grinned malevolently, snapping her fingers so that smoke began to curl around her, obscuring her from their vision. From out of the smoke, Dylan Cooper appeared suddenly, and Meredith gasped. He looked pale and gaunt, his clothing disheveled and he had an aura of evil around him. He raised a wicked looking sword above his head, and charged forward.

Gwendolyn uttered a dark curse, and she and Cassandra joined hands to confront him. The sword sliced forwards, but they shielded themselves and it bounced away. Derek pulled out his pistol, aiming for Dylan, just as another sword came twirling towards them. This time Meredith raised her hands and deflected it away, as the wind began to pick up and swirl around them in angry currents. For a few minutes, it was all they could do to keep up with the torrent of smoke and weapons that assaulted them, until Gwendolyn clapped her hands.

"Enough! Banish thee! Banish!" she shouted at Dylan, her magic pushing back. Cassandra and Meredith added their voices to hers, until Dylan was spinning and twisting in the wind, lifting off his feet. He hung in mid-air then, as the smoke began to recede, and Idris appeared again.

"Fight your own battles, Idris," Gwendolyn taunted.

"Oh, I'm just getting started, Gwen. Those books will give me untold power over you and all of the weak willed witches who only want to help humans. Give them to me, and maybe I'll be lenient on you. Or you can fight me and lose everything you value." She stretched out her hands, and Derek felt a tremor of pain shoot through him. He grimaced and dropped the pistol, clutching at his chest.

"No!" Meredith whirled around, as he dropped to his knees. "Derek…"

"Perhaps this will convince you," Idris purred, moving ever closer to where they stood, rooted to the spot. "Maybe you love this man more than your friends…hmm?" She closed her fist, and Derek thought his heart would burst from the sudden pressure on it. He tried to fight back, tried to maintain conscious thought, but his vision was clouded by the pain, and it was all he could do not to surrender to it.

"Leave him alone," Gwendolyn muttered. "He's not part of this fight."

"He's up to his eyeballs in it if he's associated with the Grey women," Idris snorted. "He'll die anyway if he's in love with the young one. It's only a matter of time, isn't it?"

Meredith put her hands on Derek, feeling the heat and the pain that raced through his body. She tried to think of a spell to help him, but all she could do was hold him, rocking back and forth helplessly. "Don't give in…please Derek…"

"Oh so touching…" Idris sighed. "Just give me the books and he'll live, for awhile anyway."

Derek made a sound somewhere between a grunt and a groan. Blood seeped out of his nose, and he was having trouble breathing. His senses were overloaded, and Meredith bit back a sob. He was a cop, and he knew that people were capable of doing unimaginable things to each other, but she was certain he had never experienced anything close to this. Her eyes met his, and the intense bond between them seemed to give her strength. Even though she barely knew him, it was love that flowed between them. And she wasn't about to let him die.

"All right, you win…" Cassandra couldn't bear to see her niece so distraught, and she exchanged a glance with Gwendolyn. "Take the books…" She held them out in front of her.

"Cassie…"

"At least one of you has come to her senses," Idris sniffed, itching to grab the books. Her eyes shone with greed and anticipation, as her fingertips grazed the cracked leather cover. "Yes…this is mine, all mine…"

Without conscious thought, Meredith jumped to her feet again, just as Idris held the books against her chest. With one hand touching her mother's locket, sudden power surged through her, and she closed her eyes. She could feel the presence of her mother, surrounding her, guiding her thoughts, and the air seemed charged with electricity.

"By all that is good in the world, by the Goddess who leads us…" she intoned softly, almost inaudibly at first so that Idris didn't notice. "Save the innocent and banish the wicked…" Her voice picked up volume, and her eyes were steely with resolve as she looked at Idris. "Forces of nature, gather and save us…"

Idris howled in outrage as wind gathered around her, the cloak beginning to twist against her body. She lifted her own hand and began to cast her own spell in response, their words battling. Derek felt the pain lessen a little as Idris concentrated on Meredith instead, but he still felt weak and useless. Before his horrified eyes, Idris began to lift Meredith off her feet, and her aunts tried to grab onto her.

Still Meredith kept up her spell, and the books suddenly flew from Idris's grasp, hurtling towards the ocean, their pages fluttering every direction and disappearing into the water. "Nooo….!" Idris screeched trying to retrieve them. She pointed her finger at Meredith, her hatred bubbling out of her in thick potent waves. "Die…you must die for that!"

Pain lanced Meredith but she fought back, calling on her last reserve of magical strength, buoyed by the thought of Derek. If she was going to die at least she had kept the book away from Idris, and saved Derek's life as well. Calm surrounded her, and her mother's voice was in her head again.

"_This is the moment to change your destiny, Meredith…now or never…"_

With a last final breath, she summoned blazing heat, directing it towards Idris. Then blackness dropped over her like a veil, and she let herself go into sweet comforting silence.

* * *

"Meredith! Wake up…"

It was all soft and warm where she was, and she didn't want to wake up. Didn't want to face reality at the moment, but the voice was insistent, and tugged at her relentlessly. With some effort, Meredith pried her eyes open, and found herself staring into the Derek's concerned face. "Derek…you're not dead…" she whispered, touching his face in relief.

"Neither are you, honey," he murmured, kissing her cheek. "You did it, you saved all of us."

"Cristina? Alex too?"

"Everyone. I managed to keep them out of your bedroom for the moment, but now that you're awake, I'm afraid they'll all want to see you."

Meredith realized that she was indeed back in her own bed, the pillows plumped up behind her, and that Derek was sitting beside her. From the foot of the bed, a black shape detached itself from the blankets and stretched. "Maddox…what are you doing here?" she asked, as he settled into the crook of her arm. He looked at her serenely, before staring to purr contentedly.

"He just showed up after we brought you home, curled up there and wouldn't budge," Derek explained.

"How long was I out?"

"Close to 24 hours. I was afraid you weren't going to come out of it, but Cassandra assured me you were fine. You just needed time." Derek smoothed her hair back, reluctant to move away from her just yet. "I thought I had lost you, little witch…"

Meredith gave him a shaky smile. "I thought _you_ were going to die, and all I could focus on was stopping Idris." She remembered the books flying away, of Idris screeching in anger. "I'm sorry about the books. You won't be able to return them now..."

Derek shrugged lightly. "I'm sure Nate will get over it. I'll give him some sort of explantion."

Unconsciously, her fingers went to where the locket usually rested, but it was gone. "My locket?"

"I don't know where that went, maybe Gwendolyn knows…"

At that moment, the door opened, and her aunts, followed closely by Cristina crowded into the threshold. "She's awake…"

"She's alright…"

They descended on her, hugging and bestowing kisses, trying to talk at once. "Wait…give her space..." Cassandra urged.

"You rocked, Mer..." Cristina grinned. "That bitch Idris shouldn't have messed with you."

"What happened to Alex?"

"Oh...we had to spell him to make him forget about most of it," Gwendolyn admitted. "Along with his boss at the hospital to make sure things would be all right. I think it worked out well, all things considered."

"Will he remember Cristina?"

"Of course, how could he forget me?" Cristina smirked. "All he'll remember is being at Joe's, having a good time and heading home alone."

"Idris?"

"You destroyed her, Meredith," Derek said gently. "You brought fire onto her..."

"You had no choice," Gwendolyn pointed out. "I'm so proud of you..."

"I lost Mother's locket somewhere," Meredith sighed. "What happened?"

"That's the good news...by saving Derek, you broke Honoria's spell. There's a new line in the family history recorded in the grimoire," Cassandra beamed. "You were willing to give your life for his, and in that moment...the locket broke apart, increasing your power and breaking the curse. You've freed all of us, child."

"What? You mean...we can fall in love and get married without worrying?" Her smile was wide, and her heart suddenly felt lighter than ever.

"From this time forward, the Grey women are no longer cursed."

Derek took Meredith's hand, squeezing it tightly at this announcement. "Well in that case...what do you say, sweetheart? I love you...will you marry me?" An unconventional proposal to be sure, but it was all he wanted, couldn't imagine living without her.

"Are you sure about that?" she couldn't resist teasing him, surrounded by her family, feeling happier than ever. "You do know what you're getting into...?"

"More sure than anything ever in my life...I can use a touch of magic in my world, honey."

"Love is the best magic of all, Derek. I love you, too...and yes...I accept..."

Derek leaned in closer, slanting his mouth over hers to kiss her softly, and Cassandra swore she could see the connection between them sparking like visible ribbons of magic. She took hold of Gwendolyn and Cristina by the hands, and they left the room completely unnoticed...

**The End**


End file.
